Return of the Hanyou
by Lady Tiger LiLy
Summary: Sequel to Return of the Jewel! Junko now lives in Feudal Japan as a hanyou with her new friends in Kaede's village. All is well until some strange things start occuring, leading to a new, and yet not so new, foe. What trials will our heros face this time?
1. Three Youkai and a Hanyou

An ocean of trees could be seen for miles from her perch on a hillside. A soft breeze began to pick up, carrying the scent of freshly bloomed blossoms, and combing the wonderful fragrance through her long, silver hair. Junko sighed as she carried on her look of contentment.

"This is where I belong. This is my home."

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**Return of the Hanyou**

**By: Lady Tiger LiLy**

**Chapter 1: Three Youkai and a Hanyou**

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"Junko! Junko!"

The female inu hanyou's ears perked at the voice calling her name. She turned and saw it was none other than the kitsune boy.

"Junko! I-!"

She cringed as she watched the poor fox boy trip and tumbled down the hill towards her. "Watch out!" she shouted.

The gravitational pull on the boy would show no mercy as he crashed into the inu girl, both continuing the trip down the hill. The two bodies had cist tumbling once at the bottom of the hill, and Junko's rage began rising.

"Shippou, you idiot!" she growled as she sat up to fixed her disheveled pink and red flowered kimono. "Are you trying to kill us both?"

Shippou sat up as well and shook his head to rid himself of the dizziness that comes from tumbling down a hill. He then looked over at where Junko sat, looking very upset with him. He gave it no thought since she has always been easily angered. "I've been looking for you!" he replied with a child like grin.

As Junko continued on her vocal rampage, Shippou reached into one side of his fur vest, pulled out something gripped in his fist, and presented it before Junko. Her rising rage fell short when she saw Shippou holding something out to her. "What is this?" she asked.

"They're for you! A bunch of little girls in the village were picking flowers and one girl gave these to me and said that I should give them to you."

Junko stared at the small offering in Shippou's clawed hand. He held two small, yellow flowers that looked slightly smashed after the tumble down the hill. As he held the flowers, three petals came loose from the pathetic looking bouquet and drifted down onto the ground. Despite this, Junko was truly touched by the gesture.

"I hope you like them. Here, take 'em," he smiled as he gave the flowers to her.

Speechless still, Junko accepted the gift. "Um, thank you." She then broke out into a smile. "I do like them."

Shippou's face lit up. "I'm glad!" He then stood up. "Hey, want to play hide-'n'-seek? Since I just found you, I'll go hide."

Junko nodded. "Ok, but you can't use fox magic!"

Shippou crossed his heart with his finger. "Promise!" With that, he ran off into the forest.

Junko sighed to herself. 'No boy has ever given me flowers before…' The thought made her feel warm all over.

---

"You really have friends who are demons?"

"Yes, not all demons are to be feared and hated. There are some good ones."

"How do you know which ones are nice or not?"

"That is always hard to say."

In a far off village, a young priestess with long brown hair was talking to the village children.

"Did a demon really save your life, Rin-sama?" another child asked.

"Yes, he did," Rin smiled.

"Why did he do that, Rin-sama?"

"Compassion. It is compassion that makes one want to help another. We must all learn to show compassion to all; even our enemies."

Soon, the children had to go back to their homes for supper. They waved farewell to Rin, as they would see her the next day.

"The children of the village really like you, Rin-sama."

Rin turned around and saw her black haired, blue-eyed companion. "Hello, Mamoru," she greeted.

The strong, young ex-demon exterminator had volunteered to do some of the village chores. He had a yoke across his neck and shoulders from which two pails of water hung. He was to bring water to the stables.

"After I deliver this water, would you accompany me to get something to eat?"

Rin nodded. "Of course, Mamoru," she smiled.

---

Junko had been following Shippou's scent with her demon nose, which had led her back to Kaede's village.

"He's trying to lead me on a wild goose chase," she sighed in irritation.

"Junko-sama! Junko-sama!"

Junko turned to see a group of little girls, with flowers in their hands, running up to her. "Hello, children," she smiled.

"Junko-sama! Did you like the flowers Shippou-sama gave you?" they asked excitedly.

"Yes, I enjoyed them very much."

"I told him you would!" one girl replied.

"We said so too!" another girl corrected.

"Junko-sama, do demons get married?" a girl asked.

"Well, I don't know-"

"Can we bring the flowers when you and Shippou-sama get married?"

"You are going to marry Shippou-sama, aren't you?"

Junko choked at the sudden barrage of married questions. "Well, um, I… uh, I have to get going now! Have fun! Bye!" she waved.

The group of girls blinked as they watched Junko dash off.

'Marriage! I'm too young to be thinking about marriage!' Junko's thoughts screamed at her as she ran. She soon slowed down to let her thoughts catch up with her.

'Oh! That's right! I'm in the Feudal era. At this time it was common for girls as young as thirteen years old to get married and have children! But I come from a time where people don't even have to get married if they so choose. And they can choose who they want to marry. Err… as long as it is legal, of course. Well, I may live in this time, but I don't have to live like they do in this time! Um, does that make sense?'

Junko decided to push thoughts of marriage out of her mind and concentrate on finding Shippou's scent again. This really was good practice for her on using her youkai senses.

---

After some time of wondering, Junko finally gave up. "I can't find his scent anywhere! I'm probably nowhere near him! I really need to practice tracking," she sighed. "I wonder how far away from the village I am."

Junko jumped up onto the branch of the nearest tree and climbed up to the top. As she broke through the top of the canopy, the wind kicked up, blowing her hair into her eyes. After combing her hair back with her claws, she scanned around the area with her demon eyes.

"Wow. I've traveled quite a ways from the village," she noted aloud. She then climbed down and decided best to head back. She then thought of poor Shippou who was probably still hiding somewhere waiting for her to find him even after all this time. She couldn't help but snicker. 'Poor Shippou.'

Junko's ears suddenly perked up. She heard what sounded like a howl. Her heartbeat picked up when she heard something coming towards her direction at great speed. A scent. What or whose scent was this? It was quite foreign to her. A wolf? Could it be a wolf? What other animal in the woods could howl like that?

Then a gust of wind broke through the foliage. Junko used her arms as a shield from the gust until it calmed. She then dropped her arms to see a man standing before her. He was clad in armor and furs. His short, black hair was pulled up into a sort of bun, exposing his pointed, demon-like ears. What caught her attention the most were his eyes. They were an intense green and they seem to be completely fixated on her. His mouth then curved into a grin, exposing his fang like canines. He then threw his head back and howled up to the sky.

This sudden reaction caused Junko to take a few steps back in retreat.

"At last I shall triumph over-!"

Another howl was heard in the distance.

"No!" the green-eyed demon snarled.

Suddenly, a big burst of wind kicked up and out of the bush came another figure. He, too, wore armor and fur like the other demon but he stood slightly taller with his arms folded across his chest. He had long orange hair pulled up and back into a ponytail. Like the other demon, this one was also staring at her intently but with piecing blue eyes.

His direct view of Junko was cut quickly when the green-eyed demon stepped out in front of Junko in a protective manner, glaring at the other demon. This unforeseen action caught Junko off guard. 'Is he… protecting me?'

"What do you think you are doing, little brother?" the blue-eyed demon spoke in a superior manner.

"She's mine, brother! I found her first!" the other demon snarled.

"You are unable to make such a claim, Yuuki."

"Why is that?" he demanded angrily.

"Because she is on _my_ territory," he replied in a mater-of-fact tone.

"What? No way!"

"It is true." The demon proceeded to point out to his young brother how far his territory reached while the young brother's anger boiled within him.

"Besides crossing my territory, your other mistake was to howl that you found your mate before she is even yours!" the elder brother scoffed.

"She _is_ mine!" he argued.

"Shall this turn into another brawl over a female, dear brother?"

"It's not my fault you can't find your _own_ mate and so you come to steal mine!" the younger demon snarled as he began to circle his brother.

"Wolves mate for life, dear brother. I suggest you be more choosy," he replied, also circling his younger brother.

'_WHAT?_ This is _insane!_' Junko thought. 'I gotta get out of here!'

As the two brothers where ready to brawl, Junko quickly dashed off. The brothers paused and turned from each other to blink as they stared off in the direction Junko left.

"No!" the younger brother shouted.

The elder brother smirked. "Whoever catches her, claims her." And with that, he dashed off after her.

"What? No fair! Get back here, brother!" he shouted as he followed after him.

Junko ran as fast as she could through the forest but was having difficulties. She was not used to run through forests. All her life she ran on a cleared track at her school. She found it much more difficult for her to gain speed while avoid colliding into a tree. As her kimono snagged and ripped on branches and bushes, her heart pounded from fear of the demon brothers catching up to her.

Junko suddenly found her feet were no longer touching the ground. "_Wha?_" She looked and found herself scooped up into the arms of the elder demon brother. When he came to a stop, Junko leapt out of his arms so her feet regained contact with the ground. 'He caught up so fast!' she thought.

She spun around to look at him but when she did, she had found him less then a foot away from her. He clasped her hand in his and looked deep into her golden eyes with his blue ones. Junko was momentarily speechless by his behavior.

"You are quite beautiful and agile. And inu youkai are known for their loyalty. I believe you shall make an excellent mate."

"I beg to differ!" Junko scoffed. "I'm nobody's mate!" And with that, she stole back her hand he had held and she dashed off again. 'The nerve!'

"Hm, feisty too," he smirked with his hand on his chin.

Junko's anger fueled her as she ran through the forest once more. 'What a jerk! He thinks he can just walk up to me, sweep me off my feet and claim me as his mate?'

The forest around her came to a stop when she suddenly collided into a soft wall of fur and cloth.

"Whoa! Gotcha!"

Junko looked up to find herself being held in a familiar kitsune's arms. "Shippou!"

"I've been hiding forever waiting for you to find me! What happened to you?" Shippou then caught the scent of the male demon on Junko. That's when the elder brother stepped out of the bushes to where Shippou and Junko stood. Junko felt Shippou's grip around her tighten.

"Let go of my woman," the elder demon said in a threatening tone.

Shippou let go of Junko and stepped in front of her to shield her from the demon. "She's not yours to have," he replied.

The demon looked Shippou over and sneered at him. "A kitsune youkai?" He then turned to Junko. "Kitsunes are tricksters. You can never trust them."

Junko remained behind Shippou without a word.

Shippou growled. "Who are you?" he demanded.

The demon seemed to look down at Shippou with a sense of superiority. "I am Saikyou! Eldest son of-"

"Well, PSYCHO, Junko is NOT yours!" Shippou interrupted.

"Listen here, you mangy kit! The name is Saikyou! NOT Psycho!"

"Really? You could have fooled me!"

"Watch yourself, you little-!"

The two demons were now right in each other's faces, growling at one another with their foreheads pressed together.

Soon, the younger demon brother showed up from out of the bushes. "Brother! You dirty cheater! I'll rip your head off!" He stopped when he saw his brother in the mists of a conflict with a kitsune youkai.

"Leave Junko alone!" Shippou growled again to Saikyou.

"This part of the forest is MY territory!" he growled back at Shippou.

"Shut up, brother! This part of the forest is most definitely _not_ part of _your_ territory!"

Saikyou realized his younger brother was right. "Shut up, Yuuki!" He then turned back to Shippou. "She is without a mate as am I so I have every right to try and claim her as mine! _And_ there's not a thing you can do about it!" Saikyou stood back, looking quite smug.

Shippou was at a loss of words. "You can't!"

Saikyou chuckled aloud. "And why is that?"

"Y-You can't because…" and before he realized what he was saying, "because she is _my_ woman!"

Both Saikyou and Yuuki looked stunned as well as Junko. Saikyou then regained his composer. "You lie. I can smell that she has not mated."

"Well, t-this is true!" Shippou stuttered with a slight blush." B-Because we are still in the process of courting! Kitsunes have a different mating ritual than that of other demons." Shippou spoke as matter-of-factly as he could though he really had no idea how kitsune mate.

The two demon brothers blinked.

"So I suggest you leave my woman alone. All male demons know how dangerous it is to interfere with any other male demon while he is courting."

Saikyou scowled at Shippou but said nothing.

"Let's go, Junko," Shippou said without looking away from Saikyou.

Junko walked over to Shippou and took hold of his upper arm. "Yes, Shippou-chan."

Shippou blushed at the title she used for him though he knew she was just playing the part of his mate-to-be. He then took Junko and lifted her up into his arms, and ran back towards the village. The two demon brothers were left standing silently for a moment.

"Saikyou! You're just letting him go! Not that I want you to go after _my_ woman, but why do you let him go?"

Saikyou's scowl vanished some so now his face was stern as he did not look at his brother. "Because there is some truth in the kitsune's words…"

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AN: Well, here's chapter one of the sequel to Return of the Jewel! Hope it sounds good so far! Questions? Comments? Concerns? Let me know!


	2. Youkai Rumble

**Return of the Hanyou **

**By: Lady Tiger LiLy **

**Chapter 2: Youkai Rumble**

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Once out of the forest, Shippou placed Junko back down on the ground. "Are you ok, Junko?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Thank you."

Shippou smiled. "You don't have to thank me. You know by now that I wouldn't let anything happen to you."

Junko nodded. As they walked back to the village, she suddenly spoke up, "Um, Shippou?"

"Yeah?"

"We're not really courting, right?"

Shippou froze in his steps at the question. "What? Oh! No, of course not!" he blushed as he waved his hands in front of himself to further indicate his point. "I was just saying that so that demon would leave you alone!"

Junko nodded, finding herself blushing. "Oh."

Shippou calmed some but was still blushing as he smiled. "Why don't we hurry back to the village? It's about time to eat!"

Junko nodded. "Alright."

---

That evening, Shippou laid awake on his bedding in Kaede's hut. Memories of that day's events plagued his mind…

"_Let go of my woman," the elder demon said in a threatening tone. _

_Shippou let go of Junko and stepped in front of her to shield her from the demon. "She's not yours to have," he replied. _

"_She is without a mate as am I so I have every right to try and claim her as mine! _And_ there's not a thing you can do about it!" Saikyou stood back, looking quite smug._

_Shippou was at a loss of words._ _"You can't!" _

_Saikyou chuckled aloud. "And why is that?" _

"_Y-You can't because… because she is _my_ woman!" _

Of course what he said wasn't true! Junko and him weren't mates! They weren't even courting!

Right?

Shippou realized he didn't really know anything about how kitsune mate or go about finding a mate. His father died when he was too young to understand or care about such things.

Just then, Shippou lifted his head and sat quietly for a minute. "Junko?"

He got up out of his bed and exited the hut. He quietly walked over to the hut next to Kaede's, which was Junko's hut. Inu-Yasha had firmly suggested that Junko have her own hut. Apparently he didn't look to kindly to Shippou and Junko both sleeping in the same hut.

Shippou could smell something was wrong. He called out her name softly but found no answer from her. He then took the liberty of letting himself in. "Junko?"

As he entered, he found her lying on her bed, mumbling soft, incoherent words. He made his way to her and knelt down to her. He noticed her breath was irregular and her body was tense.

She was just having a bad dream.

Shippou's hand was compelled to reach out and gently stroke Junko's head to comfort her. When he did so, she stirred and her eyes opened impartially.

"Shippou, don't go," she slurred as she looked over at him.

"Junko?" he spoke softly.

"Don't… Don't…" she repeated.

Shippou hushed her and continued to stroke her head. "It's alright. I'm right here. You're just having a bad dream."

"Don't leave me… Don't…" she trailed off.

Shippou thought for a moment. He then drew away his hand and lowered himself next to Junko so he could lay at her side. He laid next to her on the outside of her blanket and put his arms around her figure under the blanket.

When he had done this, Junko's incoherent mumbling gradually came to a stop and she snuggled into his warm frame. Her breathing fell back into a normal pace as her body relaxed into a quiet sleep.

Shippou watched her as she fell back into her peaceful sleep. He then held her tight for a moment. It had been sometime since they had shared a bed together. He didn't realize until then that he missed it. It was nice having a warm body to lie next to. He inhaled her scent as his eyes fell shut for his mind and body to welcome sleep.

"I won't leave you."

---

Junko woke the next morning well rested. She sat up and looked at her surroundings and found herself alone in her hut.

She reached up to hug herself as she looked around her hut. "What an odd dream," she spoke aloud in remembrance. "I could have sworn Shippou was here." Junko had been only half awake when she saw Shippou that night.

Junko shrugged it off and got up and read for the day. She dressed out of her sleeping robes and dressed into her pink kimono with red flowers. She slipped on her shoes as she stepped outside the hut. The morning sun shone down on her as she stepped out. Her eyes squinted shut as they adjusted to the light of the new day.

"Now to find Kaede-sama so to get something to eat." She could smell the hot stew coming from Kaede's hut as it sifted its way to her hanyou nose.

Soon, her hanyou ears heard the sound of laughter. She turned and found Shippou being tackled by the village children in a playful manner. Junko smiled at the scene of Shippou letting the little ones pin him to the dirt and strangle him. But then Junko's stomach growled, bringing her back to the smell of the stew.

Suddenly, the wind began to change directions and Junko lost the scent of the stew. The wind picked up for a moment but soon died down. Junko followed her nose to the new scent that replaced that of the stew.

The youkai, Saikyou.

Junko stood quietly as she stared at him. He was only a few feet's distance from where she stood. He acknowledged her presence by meeting her gaze. She soon noticed his stern expression was growing angrier.

"Kitsune!" he barked.

Shippou was already aware of Saikyou's presence and had risen from the ground; the tackling children provided no restraint for his youkai strength. The children let go as Shippou rose, sensing that the situation was serious. After all, a strange youkai had entered their village and they could feel Shippou's muscles tense at the youkai's presence.

Shippou glanced at Junko who was roughly in the middle of the two youkai. She looked worried. He then moved his gaze to the intruding youkai. "What do you want?"

Saikyou could smell that kitsune's disgusting scent all over the girl. Though he could smell she was still fertile, meaning she has no mate yet, it still made him grow in anger. After the kitsune left with the girl the previous day, it was then that Saikyou came to the realization that the girl was not a youkai but a hanyou. This puzzled him. Though half-demons were looked down upon by full-demons because of their inferior strength, this girl was different. Yes, she was pretty but the fact alone that a half-breed would turn down a strong wolf youkai prince like himself for a mate made her intrigue him all the more.

This made him want her more.

This mangy kitsune claims she is his woman. If this is so, then he's going to do what any youkai would do when two males find interest in the same female.

They would fight for her.

"Kitsune! I challenge you! You will fight me if you wish to keep your woman!"

Junko grew wide-eyed at this statement. "_What?_"

The two males stared at each other. Saikyou was waiting for Shippou's response.

"This is _ridiculous!_" Junko shouted. "Shippou! You can't do this!" She then turned to Saikyou. "I AM _NO_ _ONE'S_ WOMAN!"

Saikyou promptly ignored her. "Fight me!" he shouted at Shippou.

"No," Shippou said sternly.

"No?"

"No. Now leave the village and leave Junko alone," he replied in the same tone.

"I'm not leaving until you fight me, you _COWARD!_"

Something about how Saikyou said 'coward' struck something in Shippou.

Shippou had his head hung slightly so now his bangs hid his eyes. His fists clenched tightly. All his life he had been promptly known as a coward. Inu-Yasha had always made that known. He spent most of his life being pushed around; the Thunder Brothers, Inu-Yasha, and countless demons they encountered. He was a weak little fox boy then. Now, he was a grown kitsune youkai. Stronger, quicker, and _certainly _no longer a _coward!_

"If you do not fight me, I'll just take your woman and destroy your village! Leaving you with nothing!" Saikyou taunted.

That was the last straw.

Junko gasped at what she saw before her. The blue flames of his Fox Fire outlined Shippou's body though he was not burning. He looked up at Saikyou with glowing red eyes; fangs bared.

And ran straight for him.

"Shippou, no!" Junko shouted.

Saikyou quickly dodged Shippou's rampage and smirked. "Seems I struck a tender spot. I had not anticipated on you tapping in to your youkai blood."

Shippou turned about to the wolf youkai. Saikyou then ran toward Shippou and tackled him into a nearby hut.

"Shippou!" Junko yelled to him. "You have to get him out of the village before you two end up hurting someone, let alone destroy the village!"

Shippou heard Junko's words. He pushed Saikyou off of him and ran away, out of the village. Saikyou did not hesitate to follow close behind.

Junko gaped at the rubbish left over of the once whole hut. She couldn't help but feel this was all her fault. After all, the two youkai were sparing because of her!

"Junko, what's going on?" Kaede asked. The children had found Kaede quickly and lead her to where the youkai were before they left.

"This is all my fault! I can't let this continue on any further!" she replied as she then ran off in the direction of the two demons.

"Junko! Wait!" Kaede shouted to her but to no avail.

Junko ran as fast as her hanyou legs would let her. She soon found the sparing demons out in the open fields outside the village. Shippou was still as he was with blue flames around him and his glowing red, demonic eyes. Saikyou was about to attack again when Shippou produced balls of blue flames in his clawed hands.

"_FOX FIRE!_" he snarled as he hurled the blue fireballs at the youkai.

Saikyou managed to dodge the attack except for his left shoulder, which began to sting from the burn that the fire inflicted. Being he dodged the attack by Shippou, Shippou was now open for a direct attack.

He punched Shippou square in the jaw.

The force of the blow sent Shippou back a few feet onto his back. Shippou stumbled up onto his feet. Before he could totally collect himself, Saikyou came up to him and kneed him in the stomach. This caused Shippou to lean forward in pain and lack of air. Followed after that, Saikyou laced his hands together with his fingers as if to create one giant fist and gave him a blow to the back of the neck. Shippou completely collapsed onto the ground, unconscious.

"_Shippou!_" Junko shouted as she ran to his side. "Shippou! Shippou, are you ok?"

"I win," Saikyou promptly announced.

"YOU ARE SUCH A _JERK!_" Junko yelled at him.

Saikyou was slightly taken back by her yelling. He defeated him and she still wanted the kitsune? "You are _my _woman now," he spoke.

"_What?_ Are you _serious?_ I AM NO ONE'S WOMAN, GOT IT?" she shouted at him.

Before Junko could protest further, Saikyou grabbed Junko away from Shippou's limp form on the ground and lifted her up onto his unburned shoulder.

"WHAT THE HELL? PUT ME _DOWN!_" she shrieked.

Saikyou didn't respond but leapt off with his prize.

"_NO!_ PUT ME _DOWN!_ SHIPPOU! _SHIPPOOOU!_" Junko shouted helplessly as she saw Shippou's unconscious form soon disappear from her site.

---

Shippou groaned as he slowly opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was a roof over his head. "Wha…? Where…?"

"Ye awake, I see"

Shippou turned his head slowly toward the familiar voice since his neck and head hurt like hell. "Kaede-sama?"

"Yes," she replied, as she was busy tending to a pot of food over the fire.

"SHIPPOU!"

Before Shippou knew what was happening, he was looking into the golden eyes of a very angry hanyou that held him up by his shirt. "_Where_ is she? What happened to _my_ daughter?" Inu-Yasha growled in a very threatening tone.

It took a moment before Shippou registered the information. "Huh…? JUNKO!"

Shippou tore out of Inu-Yasha's grasp and ran out of the hut. He was dumbfounded as he looked over the village from where he stood. "Junko? JUNKO!" he shouted. Kaede, Inu-Yasha, and Kagome stepped out of the hut. Shippou turned to them. "What happened? Where's Junko? Is she alright?" he asked urgently.

Kaede hung her head. "Junko was taken by the formidable youkai."

Shippou looked shocked. It was his fault this happened. He let her down…

Kagome looked worried to death. She was dressed in a white, long sleeve blouse and a knee-length green skirt as she stood, hugging herself, trying to comfort herself. "Kaede baa-chan, what was this demon that took Junko?"

"Aye, I believe the youkai was that of a wolf."

"Kouga!" Inu-Yasha growled.

"No, it wasn't Kouga," Shippou spoke grimly. He clenched his fists tightly.

Kagome looked at Shippou with a sadden expression. "Shippou-chan? Are you alright?"

"It's my fault…" he spoke through clenched teeth.

"You're damn right it is!" Inu-Yasha snapped. "I've only been gone a week and I can't trust you to watch over my daughter!"

"Inu-Yasha!" Kagome scolded.

Shippou couldn't bring himself to meet their eyes. He relaxed his jaw. "I'm sorry," he couldn't help but apologize.

Inu-Yasha grabbed Shippou by his shirt. "Let's go," he said in a slightly mellower tone as he dragged the poor kitsune along.

"Huh? Go where?" Shippou blinked.

"You and I are going to track this bastard down!"

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AN: Shippou had not quite tapped into his true youkai form. Kind of how Sesshomaru's eyes get red sometimes when he fights but he doesn't turn into his true form; the giant white dog demon? Like that. Look out, Saikyou! You have an angry daddy hanyou on your trail! Questions? Comments? Concerns? Let me know! See you next chapter!


	3. Old Rivals

**Return of the Hanyou **

**By: Lady Tiger LiLy**

**Chapter 3: Old Rivals **

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"Miroku, lunch is almost ready!"

Miroku stood and turned away from his work in the vegetable garden. "Yes, oh beloved wife!" he smiled to Sango. Even after all these years, he still liked to put on the ol' Miroku charm just to stay on good terms with his dear wife. After all, she could strangle him easily. "Ah, Sango, you look just as beautiful as the day I first met you!"

"You should know by now that I'm not quick to fall for you flattery, Houshi-sama," she smirked as she leaned on the doorframe of their home.

Miroku winced when she called him 'Houshi-sama'; the formal title she used for him until they had wed.

Sango's smirk turned into a gentle smile. She really did like her husband's kind words. Of course, she had a hard time deciphering whether he was saying them to be sweet, or saying them to get out of trouble.

Suddenly, Sango heard her husband cry out in pain. She watched as he fell to his knees in the dirt. "Miroku? Miroku!" she shouted as she hurried to his aid. She got to the edge of the garden when he shouted to her.

"No, Sango! Stay back!" he grunted.

"Miroku! Are you ok?" she asked urgently.

"Stay back!" he repeated. "Please!"

Sango stood frozen in her spot, feeling helpless as she watched her husband let out one more stretched cry of pain. Realization hit her, as well as horror, as she saw the revelation before her. She then knew what she had to do. She quickly ran back to the house.

---

Shippou and Inu-Yasha left to return to the scene where Saikyou had beaten Shippou just outside the village. Shippou stood behind his elder as he scanned over the disturbed terrain. He then turned to Shippou. "Well? Don't just stand there! We gotta find their scents before the trail grows cold!" Inu-Yasha ordered as she got down onto his hands and knees and began sniffing the ground.

Even though Shippou was grown now, Inu-Yasha still has this strange ability to make him feel like an inferior kit again. Shippou nodded quietly as he, too, got down on the ground and began to try and find either Junko's or Saikyou's scent and which way they went.

After crawling around for some time, Shippou raised his head. "I think they headed east."

Inu-Yasha lifted up his head as well and agreed. "Alright, let's get going before we lose the trail."

"Yes, let's."

Inu-Yasha and Shippou turned to find both Kagome and Kaede. Kagome was carrying a bow and quiver that was given to her by Kaede.

"No way, Kagome! You are staying-"

"She is my daughter too!" Kagome interrupted her husband's much foreseen objection.

"I don't want you getting into any danger either so you are better off staying here in the village!"

"Inu-Yasha, I'm going whether you like it or not so don't make me say 'the word'!"

"I take it that the beads still work as they had long ago?" Kaede spoke.

"Yep," Kagome responded without taking her eyes off of her husband to look at Kaede. Being the two of them were once again traveling to the Feudal era and so often, Kagome took the necessary precautions and had replaced the beaded necklace around her husband that renders him subdued at her command. Though, getting them back on him had been a struggle.

Inu-Yasha growled quietly in his throat as he and his wife seemed to be trying to stare the other down. But, as usual, his wife had the upper hand.

"Feh!" he responded with a turn of his head, secretly signifying his surrender without actually saying it.

If the circumstances weren't so serious, Kagome would probably feel more triumphant about her victory against her stubborn husband. But now was not the time for such pettiness. Their daughter was in trouble and they had to find her. For Kagome, nothing else but the safety of her daughter mattered. She couldn't just sit around waiting for Inu-Yasha and Shippou to go find and rescue Junko; all the while she sat with Kaede waiting for news of her daughter's safety.

"Let's get going. You said yourself the trail is growing cold," Kagome spoke to Inu-Yasha as she stood waiting.

Without a word, Inu-Yasha turned his back to Kagome, bent down, and waited for her to grab hold of his neck. He then hooked his arms around her legs and proceeded to stand back up. The two would be traveling in the same fashion as they had done in their younger days since it made for faster travel; piggyback.

Shippou noted to himself that Inu-Yasha and Kagome's relationship had not changed much except that now they have openly admitted their love for one another, now were mates, and had a daughter who was just as stubborn as the two of them; Junko… Shippou hoped she was well and that Saikyou hadn't tried to mate with her yet, though he's sure Saikyou will find that quite a task to perform given Junko's fiery spirit and stubborn disposition. Maybe he should worry about what will happen to Saikyou? Heh, one could only hope. That bastard deserves whatever pain Junko can throw at him in his place because once Shippou finds him, it will be his turn to take care of Saikyou.

---

The forest around them suddenly looked like a forest again rather than a blur of green. Junko was far too dizzy to start back on her rant. She needed to gain control of the wobbling forest around her. "I think I'm going to be sick," she noted aloud to herself. She then felt herself being lifted up and placed in a new position; cradled in her captor's arms.

"We are home."

Junko blinked at Saikyou before turning to see what he was talking about. She looked up and saw a bunch of caves that tunneled into the side of a mountain and a few other wolf demon people walking about.

"The clan has grown much over the years. And with you, my mate, our clan will continue to grow and our clan will be superior."

At hearing this, Junko suddenly remembered her rage that she had discarded temporarily a few miles back. "I am not your MATE!" she shouted, each word growing in volume as she spoke.

"We're not mates _yet,_" he smirked, emphasizing the last word.

Junko did not like where this was going.

Saikyou swiftly took Junko up the mountain and into a small cave that was away from the others. He gently sat her on a makeshift bed forged out of straw and furs. He then sat on his heels in front of where she sat. Junko became uneasy though glad she was finally out of his hold. She couldn't help but glance at the mouth of the cave.

"You can't out-run me," he chuckled lightly.

Junko quickly looked away from the cave's only exit and glared at Saikyou. "I'd rather die trying then let you touch me," she spoke in a threatening manner. "Look, I don't want you for my mate!"

"And why not? I'm perfect mate material! I'm a strong male, prince of my clan, and an excellent hunter. I've shown that I am capable of protecting you, and I'm also fully capable of producing kin. What more could you want in a mate?"

"But I don't love you!"

Saikyou's blue eyes frowned. "What?

Junko hung tight to what little patients she had left. "I don't love you. That is why you can't be my mate," she tried reasoning with him.

"Well, I don't love you either."

Junko stared at him for a moment. "And you want me to be your mate anyway?" she asked incredibly.

"Love doesn't matter, it's finding a good mate that matters. And you seem like a good mate to me. Now, let us become one, my mate."

"No! Stop! Get off me!"

---

"I don't believe it."

Inu-Yasha, Kagome, and Shippou had followed the trail to a very familiar mountainside.

Inu-Yasha flexed his clawed hand. "Why is it always wolves?"

"Inu-Yasha, it's only one wolf that has Junko. The rest of them have nothing to do with it," Kagome spoke, trying to keep her husband focused.

The three of them began to climb up the side of the mountain, Kagome still on Inu-Yasha's back, when they heard the faint shout of a familiar voice.

"No! Stop! Get off me!"

"Junko!" both Shippou and Inu-Yasha exclaimed.

Shippou's look of worry melted into determination as he suddenly began to climb faster.

"Shippou?" Inu-Yasha puzzled at how fast the kitsune was moving now.

"Hurry, Shippou-chan!" Kagome shouted to him.

Once he got close, he jumped up onto the ledge of the mountain. He looked and spotted a cave to his left as he heard Junko cry out again. He hurried inside where he found Saikyou laying atop of Junko as she shouted for him to stop.

Rage quickly consumed Shippou. With his eyes glowing red, he quickly approached the two, grabbed Saikyou's shoulder to turn him around, and proceeded to punch him square in the jaw. Saikyou was sent back from the force of the blow, hitting the wall of the cave.

"Shippou!" Junko shouted, relieved to see him.

Shippou turned his angry youkai eyes from Saikyou to Junko, from where their red glow began to soften back to his normal eyes.

Junko screamed when suddenly Saikyou knocked Shippou to the ground.

"I'm going to kill you this time!" Saikyou snarled as he and Shippou rolled around the cave floor, fighting like common dogs.

"No! _Stop!_" Junko shouted helplessly.

"Junko!"

Junko looked to the mouth of the cave where she saw her father and mother standing to the side. "Junko! Get out of there!" her mother shouted.

Junko quickly dashed out of the cave, avoiding the wrestling youkai, and straight into her father's arms. "Daddy!"

"What the hell is going on?" a voice bellowed.

The three of them looked to the opposite side of the cave's entrance where a tall wolf demon stood with piercing blue eyes.

"Kouga-kun?" Kagome spoke.

"Kagome? Mutt?" Kouga replied in return.

Inu-Yasha growled, trying very hard not to lunge at his old rival. Just then, Saikyou's body came flying out of the cave, landing in the dirt face first between the two parties. He was groaning and moving slightly, signaling that he was still conscious though badly bruise, beaten, and bloody.

Soon after, Shippou came staggering out of the cave, holding his right arm, and was in just as bad of condition as Saikyou. Once he reached the mouth of the cave, he fell to his knees.

"Shippou!" Junko shouted as she pushed herself out of her father's embraces to be by Shippou's side. She would have thrown her arms around him, but was unsure of the severity of his injuries.

"This bastard tried to make off with our daughter!" Inu-Yasha scowled in answer to Kouga's previous question as he pointed to Saikyou.

Kouga looked at Inu-Yasha and Kagome then to Junko who was at Shippou's side. He then looked down at the young wolf demon that was trying to lift himself up from the ground. "Saikyou, if you were intending to mate with _this_ female, then listen to me now and listen well. No son of _mine_ is going to mate with a half-bread! Especially one of kin from _this_ mutt!" Kouga said as he glared at Inu-Yasha.

Inu-Yasha growled as he tried not to leap at the wimpy wolf that had always insulted him.

'Son?' Kagome thought.

"Yes, father," Saikyou replied as he rose from the ground, facing his father but not meeting his eyes.

"Go clean yourself up," Kouga ordered. Saikyou said nothing as he walked passed his father and away from the group with a slight stagger.

Kagome was the first to speak. "You have a son, Kouga-kun?"

Kouga's faced soften as he looked to Kagome.

_(Flashback)_

_The clouded night sky hovered over the wolf prince as he sat on a hillside, over-looking the river below. _

"_Kouga!" _

_Kouga looked down at the bottom of the hill to find Ayame looking up at him. "Ayame?" _

"_Kouga! I heard that the Shikon no Tama is whole! Is this true?" _

_He looked from her to the forest. "Yes." _

_She furrowed her brow. "D-did Kagome find them for you? You now have the jewel you've desired?"_

"_No," he replied without even looking at her. "Kagome has the jewel."_

_She then clenched her fists in determination. This was her chance! "I shall get it for you, Kouga! I shall retrieve the jewel for you!"_

"_No. She is gone. She… chose him. Besides, I know now that it is not mine to have."_

_There was a moment of silence between the two. Rain droplets began to fall from the sky during the silence. It wasn't until the rain came down harder did one of them speak._

"_Kouga…" _

_He looked over at Ayame with a questioning look as water streaked down his face._

"_Kouga, I will never abandon you like she did to you! Even though you've pushed me away; pushed me away for another woman, I haven't given up! I won't give up! I won't ever leave you! Never!" Tears began to fall down her cheeks like the rain. _

_Kouga looked at her with a surprised look written on his face. "Ayame…" he muttered. _

_Ayame stayed where she stood as she looked down, away from Kouga, wiping her crying eyes with the back of her wrist. She heard footsteps and looked up in front of her where Kouga now stood. _

"_Let's get out of the rain," he said to her as they both stood there soaking wet by this time. _

_She gazed up at him with her glistening green eyes and nodded in reply. _

_(End Flashback)_

Kouga looked away with his eyes closed and a small smirk. "Yes. Sometime after you left me for this mutt, Ayame became my mate."

"She couldn't have _left_ you if she was never _with _you to begin with!" Inu-Yasha corrected.

Kouga paid him no heed. "I apologies for the trouble my son has caused," he said, directing his apology to Kagome. He then looked down at Junko and Shippou. "He will not bother you again. Be sure of it."

Junko nodded her head to Kouga in response. Kouga then turned back to Kagome. "It was nice to see you again, Kagome."

Kagome nodded politely while Inu-Yasha growled low in his throat. With that, Kouga turned around and walked away from the group, back to his clan.

---

"_OW!_"

"Now hold still, Shippou-chan."

"_Ow!_ But that stuff stings! And it smells _awful!_"

"I know, but this will clean your wounds. Trust me, I've taken care of Inu-Yasha's battle wounds at least a hundred times."

'Inu-Yasha makes it look so easy,' he thought. Shippou had never been so badly injured in his life.

Everyone was in Kaede's hut back in the village. Shippou squirmed uncomfortably as Kagome cleaned and dressed his wounds from his fight earlier with Saikyou. Inu-Yasha sat on the other side of the room from them, as did Junko. Kaede was busy cooking a pot of stew. Inu-Yasha was busy doing an inspection of Tetsusaiga, while Junko just sat and stared off as her mother took care of Shippou.

"You should come over here, Junko," Kagome spoke to her daughter. "You should learn how to take care of injuries."

Junko was sitting with her back to the wall and hugging her legs to her chest when her mother's words broke her out of her trance. "Huh?"

"Come over here and learn how to take care of injuries," her mother repeated.

"Why?" Junko asked with confusion and a slight frown.

"So you will be able to help Shippou incase he gets caught up in other fight, or just to help someone else who is injured."

"Oh…" Junko replied, shifting in her spot

"You seem troubled, child," Kaede spoke as she stirred the stew.

Kagome stopped in mid bandaging at hearing this and looked at her daughter. "Junko?"

"Um, I just need to step outside for a bit."

"Junko?" Shippou puzzled as he and the others watched her leave.

Kagome looked over at Inu-Yasha. After a moment, he found his wife's gaze on him and stopped cleaning Tetsusaiga. "What?"

"Didn't you sense something was troubling your daughter? You were the one sitting closest to her," Kagome pointed out.

Kaede moved to put more logs on the fire. "Aye, he may be hanyou, but he is also male."

"Hey! I'm a father too! So I will check on her in a minute!" Inu-Yasha barked at Kaede. 'I know my daughter and if there is something bothering her, she needs a moment alone first to figure things out.'

---

Junko sat with her back up against the outside of the bone-eater's well as she hugged her legs to her body and rested her chin on top of her knees.

"Hey."

Junko looked up to her right to see her father standing there. "Hey," she replied.

He turned around and sat down with his back to the side of the well adjacent to her. "What's on your mind, kiddo?"

"It's nothing," she replied.

"I think I know what's bothering you."

Junko looked over at her father and blinked. "You do?"

"Yeah, and I'm sorry, Jun, but I'm afraid you're stuck with those funny looking things on your head." He turned and lightly tugged on one of her white dog-ears.

"Dad!" Junko laughed as she pulled away to cover her hanyou ears with her hands to cease his tugging. "_Very_ funny, Dad!" she spoke with a sarcastic tone, but also with a smile.

"So besides me, what's bugging you?" Inu-Yasha asked as Junko removed her hands from her head.

There was a moment of silence and Junko sighed. "It's just… I never realized how… uncivilized the Feudal era is until now. It's down right barbaric..."

There was a pause before Inu-Yasha spoke. "Yes, it is…"

"Girls getting married as young as thirteen years old, males fighting to near death over a woman… It's insane!"

"Maybe so, but this is all they know." He turned his head from Junko to look out ahead of him. "Remember, you are from a different time. The culture you grew up in is far more evolved than this time. Humans have evolved much since this time."

Junko was silent for a moment. "When I saw Shippou fighting Saikyou in that cave… it was like two wild animals attacking each other… I was terrified. I was terrified by what I saw, terrified for Shippou's life, and… I was even a little terrified of Shippou…"

Inu-Yasha then let out a sigh. "Now, if you tell anyone I said this I'll just deny it, but… Shippou's a good kid. I know he wouldn't hurt you, and not just because I've threatened his life if anything ever happened to you."

Junko rolled her eyes at that last comment. Though not exactly the greatest confession, that still had to be the nicest thing her dad has ever said about Shippou.

"He was really worried about you, you know," Inu-Yasha continued. "And if it hadn't have been Shippou in there, it would have been _me_ beating the crap out of fleabag junior!"

Suddenly, Inu-Yasha felt two arms wrap around his neck from behind.

"I love you, Dad. Thank you for everything."

Inu-Yasha patted her arm. "No problem."

A sly grin graced her face. "I can't wait to tell Shippou that you really like him!"

"_What?_ No! Don't you even _think_ about it! I _hate_ the fuzz ball!"

Junko giggled as she continued to hug her father.

He turned to her. "You know… if you don't like it here, you can always come back home…"

Junko's smile faded as she pulled back to look at her father. She hadn't thought about that.

"Am I interrupting?"

Inu-Yasha and Junko turned to see Shippou approaching with a slight limp, his right arm in a sling, and various bandages.

"Shippou!" Junko got up and hurried to him. "You should be resting!"

"I'll be fine. Demons heal pretty fast. I wanted to make sure you were ok."

Junko looked into his eyes that were no longer that of a raging demon, but gentle. They were a clear blue and looking down at her with concern. She took a breath and gave him a sincere smile. "I'm ok." She then turned slightly toward her father. "I'm ok..."

Inu-Yasha nodded.

"Oh!" Shippou reached into his sling where he pulled out a single yellow flower. "Here's one that's not squished," he said sheepishly.

Junko smiled and took the small offering. "Thank you."

Inu-Yasha watched the two. 'He has gotten a lot braver then when he was a kit… Maybe she will be ok with him…'

"SHIPPO-CHAN!"

"GAH! Hide me!" Shippou exclaimed as he hobbled behind Junko just as Kagome came into sight.

"Shippou-chan! There you are! I told you to stay put while I went to get more water! You need _all_ of your wounds clean!"

"But I can't _stand_ that stuff you use! That stuff that looks like water stinks and stings like hell!"

Junko giggled. "True enough, but just suck it up, you big baby!"

"I'm not being a baby!" Shippou retorted.

"Oh, you are too!" Junko scoffed.

"I am not!"

"You are too!"

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

Inu-Yasha and Kagome both sweatdropped as they watched the couple begin another one of their quarrels.

'Why _him?_ _Why?_' Inu-Yasha thought wearily.

"Isn't this a familiar sight."

Everyone turned to find two familiar faces.

"Miroku-sama! Sango-chan!" Kagome greeted happily.

Shippou had long forgotten his petty argument with Junko. "Miroku? Sango? What are you guys doing- _AH!_"

"Hello, Shippou-chan! Miss me?" giggled a familiar flirtatious fourteen-year-old girl.

Shippou had jumped and promptly spun around at the sudden pinch to his rear, taking cover near Junko. "Kohana?" he cried out in surprise at the girl who was dressed in normal attire over her demon slayer outfit like her mother, Sango.

"Oh, Shippou-chan! Are you ok? How'd you get all those wounds?" Kohana asked with great concern as she leaned herself on his chest. She then turned with a frown to Junko. "Did he get hurt while trying to save _you_ again?"

Junko looked at her angrily, but could say nothing. A pang of guilt hit her at Kohana's words.

Shippou gently pushed Kohana away from him and looked at her. "What are you doing here?"

"We came here looking for you two, Kagome-chan and Inu-Yasha," Sango spoke on their behalf.

Sensing the seriousness in her voice, Kagome looked at her friend with concern. "What is it, Sango-chan?"

Sango let her husband explain the situation as he rolled up the right sleeve of his black robes to reveal his right hand wrapped in a familiar purple cloth and holy beads.

-------

AN: Dun dun DUN!


	4. Like Father, Like Son

**Return of the Hanyou **

**By: Lady Tiger LiLy**

**Chapter 4: Like Father, Like Son**

-------

In a dark room hidden deep inside an old abandoned castle, a slow, ragged first breath is taken. A pair of once empty, brown eyes slowly open for a first time. The unknown vessel does nothing as it sits, eyes half open, and breathing; only breathing.

---

"I'm so worried…" Sango spoke fearfully as her slightly unsteady hands held her teacup.

Everyone was sitting in Kaede's hut, drinking tea, except for little Kirara. She was curled up next to Sango. While they discussed the matter at hand, Kagome was once again tending to the rest of Shippou's wounds.

Miroku placed his hand, the hand that was once again cursed, on his wife's in comfort after she had placed her cup down in front of her. Sango did not take much comfort in this though. It only strengthened her fear for the worst as she stared at the purple cloth that covered his right forearm and knowing what it meant. "If only we knew where he is…" she said, letting out a small sigh.

"I'm so sorry, Sango. I am to blame," Miroku spoke solemnly.

She looked up at her husband, placing her other hand over his cursed one. "No, do not blame yourself."

'Poor, Sango-chan…' Kagome thought. 'I can't imagine what she must be going through… Not knowing if your only son is ok… And Miroku-sama… He blames himself for this… His family's curse…' Kagome looked over at Kohana who sat near Shippou. Even the usually cheerful girl seemed uneasy.

Kaede looked over to Sango and Miroku. "Do not worry. Rin is a smart young woman and an excellent pupil. I trust that she shall do well in protecting young Mamoru."

"Well, we're going to have to being that we don't know where the two have traveled to," Inu-Yasha added.

---

"Why not?"

"Because it's _too_ dangerous!" Kagome argued with her daughter.

"_Argh!_" Junko growled aloud. "So you are making me stay behind?"

"That is _exactly_ what I'm doing," she said firmly.

"That's _so_ not fair! Shippou is getting to go! Why can't I?"

"Actually, Shippou-chan is staying behind with you," she informed her hanyou daughter.

"Huh?" Shippou blinked.

"Shippou-chan, you should stay in the village with Junko so you can-"

"_Baby_-sit me?" Junko filled in with scorn in her voice.

Kagome eyed her daughter. "Basically, yes," she said to Junko in an angry tone.

"I'm fifteen years old, _mother_! I can take care of myself!" Junko argued.

"Like you did when the wolf demons came after you?" she retorted.

Junko growled because her mother had the upper hand. "That was-!"

"Do _not_ argue with me anymore about this, Junko!" her mother said as a warning.

"But Mom!"

"Junko," Inu-Yasha spoke firmly. Junko stopped quickly and turned to her father when he spoke her name. "Your mother and I _both_ agree that you are to stay behind. Do not argue about it anymore," he said sternly.

Hot tears were forming in her eyes as she looked from her father to her mother. " I _hate_ you!" she yelled at Kagome before she ran out of the hut.

Kagome gave no response to this. She then stepped out of the hut with Inu-Yasha and Shippou. "Are we almost ready to go?" she asked the others.

"Yes," Sango spoke as she put her Hiraikotsu on her back. She was dressed for travel and battle as she wore her demon slayer ensemble under her normal garments. Kirara sat at Sango's side.

Miroku was at her side with a newly sharpened staff. He was dressed in his old monk robes of black and purple as he always dressed in when he traveled.

Inu-Yasha was wearing his old fire rat kimono ensemble for it was the best thing to wear in the Feudal era when one must fight demons.

"Inu-Yasha?"

Inu-Yasha turned to the kitsune who spoke to him.

Shippou handed him Tetsusaiga. "Here, you should have this back. You'll need it."

Inu-Yasha smirked and took the sheathed sword. "Thanks for taking care of it for me, brat. Good job not damaging it. When I was inspecting it yesterday, I was a bit surprised to see you managed to keep it in one piece."

Sadly, that was supposed to be a compliment.

Kagome picked up her new backpack she bought just for their new journey and put it on her back. This one was the color blue and it was much bigger than her old yellow one, as well as much more durable. She was dressed in a green three-fourths sleeve shirt and blue jean capri pants with tennis shoes.

Kagome's bag was a bit on the heavy side even though she packed lighter than she used to now that she didn't have to carry her schoolbooks with her. She slid the bag off her shoulders, and without hesitation or a word, Inu-Yasha lifted it up with one hand and carried it over his shoulder for his wife. Kagome then put her bow and quiver on her back instead.

"Are ye taking the jewel with ye?" Kaede asked Kagome.

"Yes," she said as she pulled out the beaded necklace from under her shirt collar, showing the jewel was on the end of it. "I'm sure Naraku won't stay in hiding for long if he knows we have the jewel."

"Isn't that a little risky?" Shippou asked.

"It's not like we have a choice. It's my job to protect the jewel," Kagome replied. "I'm the only one who can purify it."

"If Naraku hasn't show himself by now, he is either too weak to do anything, or he is busy plotting something," Miroku spoke.

"If he is weak, we should go out now and try to find him while he is vulnerable," Sango said as she clenched her fist. "He has caused so many I loved to die… If Mamoru… Naraku will pay if anything happens to my son."

Miroku took her hand in his as he saw it begin to tremble. Sango calmed herself and pushed away the bad thoughts and memories that began to flood her mind. She then turned to her daughter, Kohana. She embraced her daughter and kissed her forehead. "You behave yourself while we are gone," she told her.

"Don't worry about me. You and Dad travel safely," she smiled.

"Shippou-chan…"

Shippou turned to Kagome. "Yeah, Kagome?"

"Shippou-chan… please talk to Junko after she cools down. She will listen to you. Explain to her how dangerous Naraku is."

Shippou nodded.

"I never dreamed that we would be hunting for Naraku again after we finally defeated him all those years ago…" Sango sighed. "Maybe we never defeated him to begin with…"

"No! We did defeat him!" Inu-Yasha spoke. "He just managed to somehow come back for another round!"

"But Inu-Yasha… How did he manage to come back from death…?" Kagome asked.

"Don't sound so surprised, Kagome. Kikyou came back from death; Naraku could probably do it too! And no matter where Naraku is hiding, we will find him," he declared. "And unlike Kikyou now, Naraku won't be resting in piece when _I'm_ through with him!"

---

It was about an hour after Inu-Yasha, Kagome, Miroku, and Sango took off to travel around looking for Naraku's whereabouts. Shippou headed out into the Forest of Inu-Yasha to find Junko who was not there to wish everyone a safe journey. He followed her scent to where he figured he would find her. She was sitting under the tree her father was once pinned too.

"How long have you been sitting there?" he asked.

"Not long," she spoke without looking at him. "I went for a run to let off some steam before I came here."

Shippou was glad to see she had calmed since her argument earlier with Kagome. He sat next to her. "So whatcha wanna do?" he asked her.

"Why does she hate me?"

Apparently Junko wanted to talk. "Who? Kagome? She doesn't hate you! Junko, Naraku is a _very_ dangerous demon! Kagome and Inu-Yasha both don't want you to go because they don't want to put you in any more danger! You've already had your share of that ever since you first fell down the well!"

"You don't understand! It's not just about today! I didn't even really want to go! Why would I want to witness another brutal battle?" she said, turning away from him.

'So that's what was bothering her the other day…' he realized as she said that. "Junko, I'm so sorry you had to see that…"

She didn't respond to that. She just continued. "It's the fact that she thinks I have to have someone to watch over me! She treats me like a little kid! She's always nagging me! She thinks I can't do anything myself! She doesn't have any confidence in me! She _hates_ me!"

"No, Junko!" Shippou said confidently. "She does all those things because she would never forgive herself if anything bad happened to you! _I_ could never forgive myself if anything bad happened to you! I would stay with you even if Kagome hadn't asked me to! She loves you, Junko! I-!"

Junko turned her head sharply to look at Shippou just as he stopped speaking. "Shippou? W-What were you going to say?"

His heart was pounding in his chest. What was he going to say? He couldn't think. Words escaped him as he stared silently into her golden amber eyes that were moist with fresh tears threatening to flow. Her eyes were so… and her hair… her lips… Shippou felt his hand reach out to her. His fingers wanting to touch the soft skin of her cheek… Such soft skin…

Junko's heart was racing faster than her run she took earlier. What was happening? There was something different in Shippou's eyes… something she had never seen there before.

"Shippou-chan! Junko!"

Junko jumped at the voice that called to them. Shippou seemed to be a bit shaken as well. They looked to find Kohana racing up to them.

"Shippou-chan! Shippou-chan!" Kohana waved. "I have great news!" Once she reached them, she stopped to catch her breath. "Man, it was hard trying to find you two! What were you guys doing anyway?" she asked. She was eyeing Junko for a moment before she noticed Junko's face was blushing pink.

"NOTHING!" Shippou and Junko replied in unison.

Kohana blinked for a moment before eyeing them both suspiciously with her hands on her hips. "Sure doesn't _seem_ like nothing."

"What did you come to tell us, Kohana?" Shippou asked, changing the subject.

"Oh! Right! Come back to the village with me!"

---

"Rin-chan!"

"It is good to see you again, Junko-chan," Rin smiled to her friend. "You too, Shippou-kun."

Junko gave Rin a hug. "I'm so glad you're back!"

"I haven't been away too long," Rin replied. "But it would seem you have changed much since the last time I saw you."

"Huh?" Junko blinked.

Rin pointed to Junko's inu hanyou ears atop her head and giggled.

"Oh! Right! I forgot that it was after we parted that I had myself changed back to the way I was born," she said as she slapped herself on her forehead.

"Do not worry, Kaede-sama explained it to me," Rin informed as she gestured to the old woman who was in the hut with them.

Junko smiled at Rin. She really did miss her. She was one of the sweetest people she had ever met. "So where is Mamoru? Is he with you?"

Rin's smile faded.

"Rin?" Shippou spoke. She turned to him. "Is he ok?"

"Hi!"

Everyone turned to find Mamoru entering Kaede's hut with the rest of them.

"There are you, Mamoru!" Kohana spoke out. "Where'd you run off to?"

"I went to find something to go get some water in," he explained as he held up a wooden pail. "Are you thirsty, Rin-sama?"

"No, Mamoru, you are a guest in our village. I'll go get some water," Rin spoke solemnly as she took the pail from him and left the hut.

Mamoru sighed.

"Rin is not well, is she?" Kaede asked him.

Mamoru turned to Kaede. "No, she is not."

"And how are ye?" she asked.

"I'm fine… Thanks to Rin-sama…" Mamoru replied as he held up his right hand to stare at the string of reddish brown prayer beads that were wrapped around his hand and lower arm.

"Sango and Miroku were really worried about you," Shippou told him.

"Mom and dad will be so relieved to know that you are alright!" Kohana said as she went to hug her brother. "_I_ am relieved to know you are alright!"

He smiled as he hugged his little sister. "I'm just fine, Kohana. It is Rin-sama who is not well."

"What happened?" Junko asked with concern for her friend.

Mamoru released his sister and they all sat down in the hut while he told of what had taken place.

---

Three days ago…

"Rin-sama! Rin-sama!"

Rin turned around to find Mamoru running up to her in the village. "Mamoru? What is it?"

Once he reached her, he stopped for a moment to catch his breath before he spoke. "Rin-sama! There's a little girl who was bitten by a venomous snake while she was out playing! You must go to her, Rin-sama! The deadly venom will spread quickly through her small body!"

"Yes!" Rin nodded.

"Come with me!" Mamoru grabbed her hand and pulled her to follow quickly. This caught Rin by surprise and a faint blush graced her face. Suddenly, Rin felt, or rather sensed, something strange when his hand grabbed onto hers. Whatever it was, it was gone before she knew what it was.

He took her to a hut in the village where the child lived. Mamoru told the crowded villagers to make way and they did for the young priestess. Once inside, they saw the mother of the ill child was crying as another woman comforted her. The little girl was lying on a mat on the floor while two other women where trying to help the child. One woman was trying to bring down her fever by putting a wet cloth on her forehead, and the other, fanning the child.

The mother of the child looked up to see Rin enter. "Rin-sama! Please! Please save my child!" she pleaded with a tear stained face.

Rin observed the young girl. She knew she was getting worse by the minute.

The little girl opened to her eyes and smiled up at Rin when she saw she was there. "Are you going to make me all better, Rin-sama?" she asked in a small, weak voice.

She touched the girl's hand. "Yes," she spoke softly as she smiled at the child, though truth of the matter was that she had never had a situation like this before with a child getting poisoned. She knew she had to act quickly or she will die. "I need to go get my herbs," she spoke with urgency to the women who were tending to the girl.

"I will get them, Rin-sama!" Mamoru volunteered. He ran out of the hut, the crowd making way for him. Just as he made it past the crowd at the hut, Mamoru stopped. He clenched his right hand tightly as he felt a weird twinge. Then he felt a small jolt of pain shoot down his arm and hitting the core of his hand. 'Wha…What was that…?' He held up his right hand and stared at his palm. Another jolt, but this time stronger, pulsed through his arm and hit his hand, making him groan at the painful sensation.

Rin turned to see what the commotion was about. She looked out the opened doorway of the hut and saw Mamoru standing outside in the street, his back to everyone else. "Mamoru?" she called in confusion of why he was not going after the herbs she had in her hut.

He turned to Rin, confusion and worry on his face. "Rin-sama, I- _Ah!_" he groaned aloud as he fell to his knees this time at that jolt of pain that seemed to be getting stronger with each pulse.

Rin jumped to her feet when she saw this. "Mamoru!" she called. She hurried to his side, placing her hands on his shoulders to help steady and comfort him. "Mamoru! What's wrong?"

"I… I don't know…" he groaned, his body now starting to tremble. The jolts seemed to stop now as the pain began to center solely in his hand and began to grow in agony. He cried out in pain again.

"Mamoru!" Rin cried out in worry again, feeling helpless to do anything for him.

"My… hand…" he grunted.

"What?"

"My… my hand… It feels like… _AAAH!_" Mamoru cried out.

"Mamoru!"

He finally forced himself to open his right hand to what was causing this excruciating pain. His eyes opened impartially as they were shut tight against the pain. "What is… _that?_"

Rin looked as well and saw the black void forming in the palm of his hand. The suction of the wind getting strong and strong the wider it grew. It was starting to pull her long hair towards it. Her eyes grew wide with fear. 'This is… this is just like the wind tunnel that Miroku-sama had long ago… And he had to…'

Mamoru stood up and Rin did the same, still with her hands on his shoulders. "Rin-sama! Please get back!" Mamoru shouted over the growing wind as he pushed her back from him with his left hand. "You are putting yourself in danger getting so close to me!"

"Mamoru!" she shouted as she tried to get near him again.

"Stay back!" he shouted again more fiercely. "Everyone! Stay back!"

"Let me help you, Mamoru, before it is too late!" Rin pleaded.

The wind was getting too strong now, strong enough to put the people and the village in danger. By now, there was a panic in the village as everyone ran for their lives. Not knowing what to do, he held his right hand up high over his head, palm facing up, as he held his arm steady with the left hand. Mamoru was now starting to feel the strain of having the void open for so long. He squeezed his eyes shut. 'What am I going to do?'

Mamoru then felt something on his arm. He opened his eyes and looked to his right to see Rin standing at his side. She had her left hand on his right arm as she reached out with something in her other hand. She was reaching for his hand with the void. Suddenly, Mamoru felt the wind cease. At this, he collapsed to his knees and then fell over onto the ground as his eyes fell shut. When he opened his eyes, he found Rin hovering over him, calling his name.

"Mamoru! Mamoru, are you ok?" she asked.

He turned his head to this right to look at his hand to see what had happened. He found his hand and lower arm bound by a string of reddish brown beads. "What happened?" he asked.

"I closed the opening with these prayer beads. If you remove them, you will open up the Kazaana," she explained.

"Kazaana… Wind Tunnel…" he recalled. "My father's curse…"

"Yes," Rin replied.

"You witch!"

Rin and Mamoru looked over to the crowd of villagers that had formed again now that the Wind Tunnel was stopped. The mother of the sick little girl stepped in front of the crowd. "What kind of priestess are _you_ to let a poor child _suffer_ and _die?_"

Rin looked shocked. "Die?"

"MY CHILD IS _DEAD_ BECAUSE YOU DID _NOTHING_ TO SAVE HER!" the woman shouted in anger and grief, tears streaming down her face.

Rin looked horrified at this revelation.

"Do not blame Rin-sama! It is my fault for this terrible tragedy that has befallen," Mamoru said gravely.

"_You_ are the terrible tragedy that has befallen! You almost destroyed our village!" a man spoke out.

"Perhaps he is a demon!" another cried out.

"Perhaps they are both demons!"

"The boy is not normal!"

"He is cursed!"

"The woman, she must be a dark priestess! She is always saying how not all demons are bad and now she has let an innocent child find death!"

The mother of the now dead child spoke to them. "Leave our village now! You have brought evil upon us! We want nothing more to do with you! Leave now or you too shall find your graves this day!"

By now, Mamoru had sat himself up and was getting to his feet. "It is not true! If Rin-sama had not helped me, you would all be-!" Mamoru stopped as he saw Rin rise to her feet and began to walk away. "Rin-sama?"

She stopped with her back to the villagers and Mamoru. "Come, Mamoru. Let us go."

"Rin-sama?" he called in confusion.

"Come," she said again.

Mamoru stood silently for a moment before he went to her.

Rin stood still until he reached her. She then spoke again aloud to the villagers without turning to them. "I am sorry for what has happened."

No one said a word as Rin moved forward. Mamoru following behind her as they left the village together in silences.

-------

AN: My head hurts too much to be sure if it was three days. So yeah, it was about three days. Sorry it took me so long to update! My life has been a bit of a mess lately, but today I spent all day in my room writing this chapter for you guys because you deserve an update! Don't think I've given up on this story! In fact, I've been thinking about it a lot lately and about what I want to add to it. I'm not even _considering_ giving up on this story! I love it too much to do that! So don't you, my readers, give up on it either! Um, please? I promise it will be a _REALLY_ good story! Thank you!

PS: Incase you are wondering why Miroku, Sango, and Kohana didn't just fly to the village on Kirara, that will be explained later.


	5. Painful Past

**Return of the Hanyou **

**By: Lady Tiger LiLy**

**Chapter 5: Painful Past**

-------

Rin was kneeling on the rock-covered shore of the river as she dipped her wooden pail into the rushing water. It quickly filled and she placed the pail at her side.

She sat still where she was and just stared at the flowing water; lost in her thoughts…

"_Are you going to make me all better, Rin-sama?"_

"_What kind of priestess are _you_ to let a poor child _suffer_ and _die?_"_

The tears were swelling in Rin's eyes until they finally broke free and dripped down her cheeks. She covered her face with her hands as she finally let herself sob for the first time since her and Mamoru left that village. Suddenly, she heard the sound of rocks being stirred. She stopped crying and lifted up her head to the left of where she sat.

A few feet from her stood the demon lord, Sesshomaru.

She stared at him in silent awe and surprise as she dried her face with the sleeve of her priestess clothing.

"Why have you come back to this village?" he asked.

Her expression fell. She turned away from him to hang her head in humiliation. "I've failed…" she replied softly. She then covered her face again as she began to sob. "You were right! I am such a fool! I can't do this! This wasn't supposed to happen!"

"Neither was this," he replied. Rin turned her tear-stained face to him and saw he was glancing to his left shoulder where his arm was severed. "But it did. One shouldn't give up because one bad thing occurred or they are weak and have no place in this world."

Rin looked away in shame, tears still in her eyes. "If I was a better priestess…"

"Stop crying and open your eyes, Rin. That child would have died whether you helped her or not. Don't listen to the irrational accusations of a grief-stricken woman. The child was much too frail and weak."

Rin's eyes widened as she turned back to him. She never told him… He was there when that happened?

Sesshomaru turned with his back to her. "Do as you wish, Rin." He then began to walk away.

Rin quickly rose to her feet. "Wait!" she called to him. "What if I wish to come with you?"

He stopped and turned half way around to face her. He stared at her without a word for a moment. "That is not what you wish," he replied. He turned back around once more. "Your companion… you are fond of him, and the others here in the village, you wish not to leave them."

Rin did not understand what Sesshomaru meant by what he said about her being fond of Mamoru. Yes, she liked Mamoru and has grown to enjoy his company while they traveled together, but beyond that she couldn't fathom. After all, he was much younger than her. But what he said about her not wanting to leave her friends was true. She cared about all of them so much. Even though this was all true, she thought about what he had told her before that, and knew it was not the reason he would not let her go with him.

Sesshomaru began to walk away again when he heard the clacking of rocks. He then felt two arms wrap around him from behind. He stopped; surprise shown on his face just barely and only for an instant before it fell back to it's usual solemn expression.

Never in all her years had she ever embraced him as she was doing this moment. Her face was buried in his long silver hair that flowed down his back. Her arms had reached around his torso easily as she wrapped them around him firmly, almost as if willing him to stay. "Thank you," she spoke softly after turning her head down so his hair would not muffle her words.

He said nothing. He felt her grip loosen, and as her arms retracted, he began to move forward again.

Rin watched him as he walked off silently into the forest once more. 'Thank you,' she thought again. She realized what he was trying to tell her. He was saying that she is not to blame, and that she should get up and try again. If she were to go with him, she would not do that.

"Sesshomaru-sama!"

Rin heard a rustling in the some bushes behind her. She turned to find the small green toad demon pop out and run past her. "SESSHOMARU-SAMA!" he cried out. He then turned around to find Rin standing there. "Rin? Have you seen-?"

"That way," she said, pointing in the direction he left in.

"Ah! Thank you! Good to see you again, Rin! Good-bye! Sesshomaru-sama!" he shouted again as she hurried off.

Rin couldn't help but smile as she watched him leave. After he was gone from sight, she went back to get the pail of water and then began to head back to the village. About half way back, Rin found Mamoru. "Oh, Mamoru. What are you doing here?"

"Rin-sama, I… I wanted to talk to you about what happened before… that is, I wanted to tell you that what happened is not your-"

"I know," she smiled at Mamoru. "Thank you."

"Are you going to be ok?" he asked.

She nodded still with a smile. "Yes."

He then smiled too. "Good. Here, let me carry that for you."

Rin let Mamoru take the pail from her as they headed back to the village side by side.

---

"Ah," Kagome sighed. "This is just what I needed after all the walking we did today. I forget I'm not as young as I used to be."

Inu-Yasha and the others made camp near some hot springs they found as the day was coming to an end. Kagome and Sango were both exhausted from the day's travel and eagerly went to go relax in the hot water. Inu-Yasha and Miroku were sitting next to the campfire. They both gathered the wood, and with Kirara's assistance, got the fire going. The two men had been sitting by the fire, watching the flames for some time when Inu-Yasha turned and stared at Miroku.

Miroku soon felt his gaze and turned to Inu-Yasha. "Yes?"

"Are you waiting for me to turn my back on you like before?"

"What are you talking about?" Miroku asked in pure confusion.

"Like how it used to be! I'd turn my back on you for a second and you were gone to go spy on the girl's in the hot spring!"

"Oh please, Inu-Yasha, I was a young man then. Besides, it's not like it's nothing I haven't seen before."

"We _both_ know that is _not_ the point."

"Well, aren't _you_? You and Kagome are married. You can finally fulfill that desire you had back then to go spy on Kagome while she goes bathe in the hot springs and you don't have to feel bad for enjoying it."

"WHAT?" Inu-Yasha shouted in outrage. "I was _never_ like _you_, bouzu! I still can't figure why Sango went and married you!"

Miroku laughed at the hanyou's reaction.

Inu-Yasha quickly cooled down. "Oh, the last time we came here and saw you guys, Kagome said that Sango mentioned your wedding anniversary was coming up. She told me I should get you something." Inu-Yasha grabbed Kagome's backpack near him and rummaged down to the bottom of the bag. He pulled out something of a rectangular shape, wrapped in cloth, and handed it over to Miroku. "Here."

Miroku took it, puzzled at what Inu-Yasha could have possibly have gotten him. He untied the string that was keeping the cloth on the present and then carefully opened the cloth. Inside the cloth wrapping was a book. "This looks like one of those study books that Kagome used to bring with her," he commented.

"Oh, this is a study book too… of a different kind…"

Miroku flipped open the book to take a look inside. His eyes widened as he looked upon the random page he landed on. He quickly shut the book and looked over at Inu-Yasha. "What the hell kind of study book is this?"

"Kagome says it's a book that teaches couples different way to make love."

"Wait, so Kagome knows you got _this_ for me?" he said with embarrassment.

"No! She doesn't know. This is more of a 'man-to-man' thing."

Miroku cautiously opened the book again and glanced at the page he landed on before. "What a time you live in, my friend. Oh, how I envy you."

Inu-Yasha chuckled. "See, back when Junko was a little girl, Kagome wanted to take her to this place called a library. It's a place that has lots of books you can borrow and while I was there with them, I found a book like that one. Kagome suggested her and I check it out." A grin began to spread across Inu-Yasha's face. "The library didn't get their book back for a _long_ time. One day, Kagome came home with a bought copy of the book so I would take the other one back to the library before they started to charge me for keeping the book for so long. Ever since her and I checked out that book, our bedroom life has been better than ever! Hell, it's been great!"

"Inu-Yasha, you hentai," Miroku said with a sly smile.

"I am not!" he protested. "I just happen to like being with my wife! There's nothing wrong with that!"

Miroku didn't say anything as he looked down at the cover of the book. He then turned back to Inu-Yasha. "Thank you, but I don't think I'll be needing this," he spoke as he handed the book back to Inu-Yasha.

Inu-Yasha blinked. "What's the matter? Are you intimidated by this book or something?" he snickered.

Miroku smiled though he looked saddened.

---

Sango kept looking off into the forest around them though there was nothing to be seen except trees.

"Sango-chan? Is something the matter? You look troubled," Kagome spoke. She then giggled. "Are you looking out for Miroku-sama? Does he still like to spy on you?"

Sango turned away from her friend. "Kagome-chan…? Does Inu-Yasha want for you to have more children?"

"Oh, no! Him and I agreed on only one child," Kagome replied. "What about you and Miroku-sama? Didn't you guys want a big family?"

"Yes…"

Sango seemed troubled. "Sango-chan? Are you ok?" Kagome asked in concern.

"Kagome-chan… can I talk to you about something?"

"Sure, Sango-chan. You can talk to me about anything. What is it?"

"I don't think… Miroku wants to be with me anymore…"

"What?" she replied in surprise. "Sango-chan, what are you talking about?" Kagome waded around to face Sango and saw that she had tears forming in her eyes. "Sango-chan, what happened? Did Miroku-sama tell you this?"

"No…" she replied, turning away from Kagome.

"Then why would you think he doesn't want to be with you anymore after all these years?"

"Kagome-chan… I can't… I can't give Miroku the big family he has always wanted."

"Oh, Sango-chan, you and Miroku-sama still have some time. Maybe you can try-"

"No, Kagome-chan, it's not just that I'm running out of time… I… I can't…"

"What are you talking about, Sango-chan?"

"I'm scared…"

---

"How many times has this happened?"

"I don't know. The first time was more than enough for Sango… "

"So she's scared she'll have another miscarriage?"

"Yes… she becomes deeply hurt with every loss that she doesn't want any intimacy until she is ready to try again. These times of grieving for her seem to become longer and longer. She won't even talk to me about how she is feeling. She used to cry on my shoulder, but as this happened again and again, she won't even do that anymore. I've heard her cry in the middle of the night many times. She keeps her pain to herself. I worry about her so much… And I feel I can do nothing for her even if she would let me…"

---

"Mamoru was conceived after we were wed. I was so happy to have given Miroku a son. About a year after we had Mamoru, I was pregnant again… and that's when the miscarriages began. We tried for five years. I had several miscarriages during that time. After each one, I would push Miroku away for a time while I dealt with the pain of the loss of each unborn child…"

"Oh, Sango-chan… I had no idea. I'm so sorry." Kagome put her hand on her friend's shoulder to console her.

Sango looked up at Kagome and gave a small smile. "But then I had Kohana and I was happier than I had ever been. When I held her in my arms for the first time, I cried. She was just so perfect… I was so thankful she had made it. I thought Miroku and I would finally be able to start making that large family we both had wanted…"

---

"But it happened again?" Inu-Yasha spoke.

"Yes…"

---

"So how long has it been…?" Kagome asked Sango.

---

"-since you and Sango…?" Inu-Yasha trailed off.

---

Sango thought about it for a moment. "Um, about…"

---

"Over a year," Miroku replied to Inu-Yasha.

---

"A _YEAR?_" the two replied to the person they were talking to.

---

Kagome blushed. "Sorry! It's just that me and Inu-Yasha… Well, we've never gone-"

---

"-_that_ long!" Inu-Yasha explained to Miroku.

Miroku smiled. "Don't worry about it."

"So _that's_ why you aren't going off to spy on your wife! You don't want to rouse yourself because right now she's not giving you the time of day!"

Miroku sweatdropped.

---

"A year ago…" Sango began. "I did give birth to a third child… But… She was born two months too early… She didn't… She didn't make it through the night… She was too weak…" She pulled her hands up out of the water and covered her face.

"Sango-chan…"

She removed her hands so she could speak. "Kagome-chan… she died in my arms!" She began to cry. "The pain of the death of my born child was much worse than that of any of my miscarriages! I had held her small, fragile body! I touched her tiny hands and feet! Felt her breath! Heard her cry!"

Kagome's heart was breaking for her friend. She stood up and grabbed a towel to wrap around her body. She then grabbed a second towel for Sango. Sango saw this through teary eyes, stood up and took the towel and wrapped it around herself as well.

"Now that we are both somewhat clothed…" Kagome pulled Sango in a hug and held her tightly. "I'm so sorry that you had to go through all that, Sango-chan… I wish I could have been there for you."

Sango sniffled and nodded as she hugged her friend back. "You're the only one I've talked to about this," she told her.

"Not even Miroku-sama?" Kagome asked as she pulled away to look at her friend.

"No… it hurt too much then to talk about it… Besides… how would he know what it was like? To have carried this living being inside me for six months… to have given birth to new life and then to have it taken away?"

"Sango-chan…" Kagome put her hands on her shoulders and looked into her face. "It was his child too. She was a part of him. Don't you think Miroku-sama might have been hurting too at the loss of his own flesh and blood?"

"Yes, he was…" Sango recalled. "I had never seen him more grief-stricken in my life. But still, he could never understand my pain; the pain of when a mother looses her child… and it hurt too much for me to talk to him about it. It hurts now to talk to you about it, Kagome-chan… But it also hurts keeping it inside…"

Kagome hugged her friend again. "You know I will always listen."

"Yes, and thank you."

---

"I tried to comfort her, but I knew there was nothing I could do to take away the hurt she was feeling. Of course, I was hurting too. Nothing is as painful, as heart wrenching, as the death of your own child."

Inu-Yasha said nothing. He wasn't sure what to say. He was thankful though that he never had to go through any of what Miroku was telling him.

"But I can only imagine how much worse it had to be for Sango…" Miroku continued. "After our little girl's death, Sango has become more distant that ever before… A month went by before I came to Sango, but she turned we away. I came to her again a few times after that but she still did not want to be with me. I've stopped coming to her since."

---

"He doesn't come to me like he used to… I think he's finally tired of having a wife who can't give him anymore children…" Sango said as she sat next to Kagome on a large rock in the hot springs. They let their legs hang in the water with their towels wrapped around their bodies.

"So are you saying you're ready to be with him again intimately?" Kagome asked.

"Well, yes, I do want to be with him… It's just that… I don't want to disappoint him again… I don't want to go through that pain again… I don't think I can endure any more."

"I'm sure he wants to be with you too, Sango-chan, but you've turned him down and pushed him away for so long that maybe he's just waiting for _you_ to come to him."

Sango looked over to Kagome in surprise. "_Me_ come to him?"

Kagome looked back in surprise too. "You've… never approached him when you've wanted to be intimate?"

Sango shook her head. "It's always the husband who must come to his wife."

"Well, Sango-chan, that's gonna have to change!"

---

The two fully dressed women came back to find their men sitting by the fire that they kept going while they were taking a bath.

"Hi," Kagome greeted her husband as she sat down next to him. She leaned her head on his shoulder and he automatically put his arm around her shoulder. The spring night was a bit cooler tonight than before.

"Feel better?" Inu-Yasha asked, his free hand prodding the kindling with a stick.

She nodded her head. "Today was quite a work out for me," she smiled at him.

He gave a light smile back at her. He then glanced over to Miroku who was holding out his right hand so to help his wife, Sango, to sit by his side. She gingerly took the hand that was his cursed hand, and knelt at his side. They sat shoulder to shoulder, him with her hand still in his for he had not let it go.

Kagome noticed this as well, but she also noticed that Sango's face was a bit flush as Miroku held her hand, resting it against his thigh. She knew Sango was still thinking about their talk from earlier. 'She hasn't been with him in so long…' she thought. 'She's acting like a shy little girl. Sango-chan, it's ok to have thoughts of being intimate with your own husband!'

"How are you?" Miroku asked Sango kindly. "Better too, I hope, now that you have relaxed from the day's journey."

"Um, yes," she replied. She had wrapped a blanket around her shoulders and was grasping it in her free hand to keep it around her.

"You seem a bit distracted, Sango. Is everything alright?" he asked her.

"I was… just thinking…"

Kagome's eyes widened. Was she going to talk to him _now_ about _that?_ With her and Inu-Yasha right here?

"…about Mamoru…" Sango finished.

Kagome took an inner sigh of relief.

Miroku covered his wife's hand with his free hand. "Please try not to worry. He is in good hands with young Rin."

Sango nodded.

"Perhaps we should all rest now," Miroku suggested. "Another day's journey is ahead of us."

"Right," Inu-Yasha agreed.

Both Inu-Yasha and Kagome watched as Miroku leaned over to kiss Sango tenderly on the side of her forehead before he stood up.

'They seem so distant from one another…' Kagome thought sadly. 'Through these tragedies that have happened to Sango-chan, she has not only avoided intimacy with Miroku-sama, she has also pushed him away from her all together… She has never talked to Miroku-sama about her feelings about the miscarriages. She's been carrying that pain all alone…'

Both Sango and Kagome settled themselves for bed. Kagome laid out her sleeping bag near the fire while Sango had a couple of blankets for her own bedding that she laid out for herself. Little Kirara curled up next to Sango. Miroku sat against a nearby tree so that he could rest and be ready in case something were to occur. Inu-Yasha was doing the same. He sat against another nearby tree and was staring at the flames of the fire. Kagome noticed Inu-Yasha seemed deep in thought. "Inu-Yasha?" she spoke.

Inu-Yasha blinked out of his thoughts and turned to his wife. "Hm?"

"Are you ok?" she asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he told her.

"What were you thinking about?" she inquired.

"Nothing," he replied. "Sleep well, Kagome."

Kagome nodded. "Good-night, Inu-Yasha."

-------

AN: I'm so sorry this took so long! I couldn't figure out how to end this chapter. I have the outline for the next chapter mostly done so hopefully I will get that going soon.

Yes, I know, this chapter has a LOT of angst. And well, my reason for that is I didn't want the couple to seem like they live happy fairy tale lives. Even though Miroku and Sango love each other, and his curse was lifted, and they got married and had a family together, doesn't mean their troubles were over. Every couple faces some sort of problem. It would just be naïve to think otherwise. So yeah, there you have it.

Oh, and about the book gift for Miroku, I just thought that would be a funny gift for our favorite lecher! And before you all start giving me strange looks, I can honestly say, I have never seen a book of such things ever in my entire life!

Check out my Deviant Art page for my Inu-Yasha fan art! You can find the link on my bio page.


	6. Heated Moment

**Return of the Hanyou **

**By: Lady Tiger LiLy**

**Chapter 6: Heated Moment**

-------

"_OW!_" the fox youkai yelped as he pulled off the band-aid from his arm.

"Baby…" the young female hanyou spoke aloud to herself.

"I heard that!" Shippou snapped before pealing off the last band-aid, suppressing another shout of pain.

"Seriously, you act like removing a few band-aids is causing you worse pain than how you got the injuries to begin with." She sighed as she rolled her eyes. "Men…"

Shippou, Junko, and Rin were still sitting in Kaede's hut after eating breakfast with the others who had now departed for various reasons. Kaede had to go tend to her herb garden, and Mamoru went with his sister, Kohana, to help her get in some practice for the day. Sango had her children exercise and practice with their weapons almost ever day for a few hours. Though Mamoru was no longer following the path of a demon slayer, he honored his sister's request to come with her. Besides, he could use the exercise.

But before Kohana had left with Mamoru, she approached Shippou and asked him if he would go take a walk with her later… _alone_.

The thought of Kohana alone with Shippou just made Junko so… Jealous? What the hell are you talking about? She is not jealous! You don't know anything! Why on earth would she feel jealous about Kohana and Shippou being alone together? It's obvious that Shippou doesn't return Kohana's affection. Junko just doesn't like the thought of Kohana flirting and throwing herself at Shippou, which she would do if they were alone…

Junko recalled the pointed glare Kohana had given her after she had asked Shippou. She met Kohana's glare with her own. An odd feeling had quickly swelled up inside Junko like anger but it wasn't just anger… it had a touch of fear in it though she didn't know why… It was… _so_ NOT jealousy!

Well, luckily Shippou managed to avoid answering her question by claiming that nature was calling and proceeded to hurry out of the hut. He came back after Kohana left and found only Rin and Junko in the hut eating breakfast. He too went back to eating his breakfast, noting aloud how that was a close call. Junko asked if he meant about Kohana or the call of nature. He rolled his eyes at her smart remark.

After he had finished eating, Shippou had started at the task of removing his bandages and gauzes from his now healed injuries.

"You could have just told her 'no' you know," Junko commented to Shippou with a hint of annoyance as she put away her empty bowl. "Unless you want to go with her…"

"Are you kidding? I don't want to be alone with her!" Shippou replied. "You see what she does when there are people around, I don't want to think what she might try when no one is around!"

Coincidentally, neither did Junko.

"And I know I could have just said 'no'," he continued. "But it's not like I had a good reason to turn her down."

"You mean besides the fact that you don't share her feelings and that she constantly harasses you?" Junko spoke dryly.

"I also didn't want to hurt her feelings," Shippou pointed out. He then gave her a confused look. "What is your problem today?"

"Nothing, I just think you should have told her 'yes' or 'no'. And obviously you don't want to go with her so you should have said 'no', else, you are just leading her on," she reasoned, sounding a little too casual than normal.

"I am _not_ leading her on! I've never returned her affection and she still keeps at it! She doesn't take 'no' for an answer, you know that."

"Hm, you have a point," Junko agreed as she went to sit back down in her spot. She then let herself tumble backwards onto her back from where she sat. "I'm so _incredibly_ bored," she sighed.

Rin took a sip of her tea. "The day has only just begun, Junko-chan."

"And if I'm already bored, than that can't be a good sign, can it?" she said with another sigh.

"Quit sighing, it's not good for you," Shippou replied dryly to the hanyou.

Junko ignored him. "You know, maybe it wasn't such a good idea coming to live in the Feudal era and leaving behind my TV and video games…" she spoke idly.

Shippou seemed unnerved by that comment as he began to unravel his wrapped right arm and snagged his claw in the fabric. "Damn it…" he muttered as he began trying to tug his claw free.

"Don't pull it like that or you'll rip it! And as reckless as you are, we'll probably need to reuse that." Junko got up from the floor and moved over to Shippou's side. "Here, hold still," she said as she took his left hand and began to try to carefully free his claw.

Shippou blushed when she took his hand with her own. He glanced over at Rin who was idly sipping her tea, seemingly uninterested.

In no time at all, Junko had successfully freed Shippou. "There. See? That wasn't so hard," she spoke. She then took his arm and began to unravel the bandage wrapped around it.

Shippou gulped, his blush deepening some. "W-What are you doing that for?" he asked timidly.

"My claws are shorter and duller than yours so no snagging for me," she explained. "Besides, I'm bored. So I figure the sooner we get all these bandages off you, the sooner we can go out and do something."

"O-Oh, right," Shippou replied as he watched her gently unwrapping the bandage with ease. Junko didn't show this side of her a lot. She was being so kind and gentle right now opposed to how she usually behaves; tough and short-tempered. He wished he could see her softer side more often.

Actually, now that he thought about it, she is much different now compared to when they first met. Though she still acts tougher than she really is, she seems more at ease with him, more able to drop that defensive shield when she needs too, like when she was upset with her mother and was going to cry right there in front of him. Maybe, in time, she will come to let down that shield more and show her softer side more.

"Hold still, stupid, or you'll get your claws snagged again!"

Then again… one can only hope…

---

"_Hiraikotsu!_" And with a mighty swing, Sango threw her boomerang bone at the large bear demon, successfully knocking it down to the ground.

Inu-Yasha then took over. With a mighty cry, he swung the transformed Tetsusaiga, slicing the bear demon to ribbons, thus, destroying the youkai. Once this was accomplished, he turned to his wife. "Kagome! Are you ok?" he asked in urgency.

"I'm ok," she replied from her spot on the ground from where she had fallen. She had gone to get water from the river that morning when the bear demon showed up. She was unarmed so she did the only thing she could do which was to run, but she didn't get far until she tripped and fell. Just then, Sango and Inu-Yasha came running out of the foliage at the sound of her distress and came to her rescue.

Miroku reached Kagome's side and helped her to her feet. "It would seem that the demons in this forest have discovered you possess the sacred jewel, Kagome-sama."

Upon hearing this, Kagome reached up and placed her hand where the jewel was hidden under her shirt collar. "I think you're right, Miroku-sama."

"What should we do?" asked Sango. "If these weaker demons have discovered it so easily, won't Naraku be able to as well?"

"If he can, he'll discover us coming after him before we can find out where he's hiding," Inu-Yasha said as he sheathed Tetsusaiga. "We'll loose the only advantage we have right now and we can't do that."

"I suggest that one of us takes it back to the village to be left in the protection of Kaede-sama," Miroku suggested. "Though as old as she is, she should be able to erect a safe housing for the jewel while we are away. I can leave her some of my most powerful demon wards and sutras."

"I'll take Kirara and go back to the village," Kagome volunteered.

It was decided. Miroku gave Kagome some demon wards and sutras to take back with her. Little Kirara transformed into her larger form and Kagome climbed up onto her back, taking her bow and arrows with her, but leaving her backpack behind with the others. "You guys go on ahead and we'll catch up."

"Hurry back," Inu-Yasha told her. After that little scare from this morning with the bear demon, Inu-Yasha was beginning to remember all the times Kagome was nearly killed by some youkai or another and was feeling uneasy about her going off on her own.

"It won't take me long with Kirara," she smiled as she patted the cat demon on the head. Kirara gave a purr that sounded more like a growl and off they took to the sky.

---

"Are you sure all your wounds are healed completely already?" Junko asked warily.

"Like I said, we demons are fast healers," Shippou smiled to her.

Junko turned away as she felt herself blush. He had such a nice, sincere smile…

After Junko had helped Shippou remove his bandages, they went out for a walk in the forest. Junko had asked if Rin wanted to come along, but she smiled sweetly and declined the invitation.

"Well, maybe you should still take it easy just incase," Junko suggested.

Shippou scoffed. "You don't believe me do you? Here, I'll prove it!" He then took off a couple of feet ahead of her. "Watch this!" He bent over, placing his hands on the ground, and kicked his feet up over his head. "Tah dah!" he shouted triumphantly after he was able to establish his balance. He then took it a step farther and removed his left hand so that his whole body was now balancing only on his right hand and arm, the one that was previously injured.

"Shippou!" Junko spoke worriedly as he did this. She was sure he was going to hurt himself.

Shippou could only stand like that for so long before he started to loose his balance. He began to wobble before his feet came completely over his hand, resulting in him landing on the ground on his back. "Ow…" he groaned.

Junko grimaced as she witnessed this. She then walked over to the kitsune, leaning over him slightly, looking down at him with an unimpressed look. "Show off," she stated flatly.

He looked up at her and gave her a boyish grin. "So what does it take to impress you? You know, besides saving your life because that's gotta be getting tiring by now."

Junko rolled her eyes at that last comment. She then knelt down by his side, letting out a sigh and put her finger to her chin to show she was thinking of an answer. "Hm, getting a perfect score on the hardest DDR level would be impressive to me. I can only play as high as standard," she replied.

He blinked up at her. "Dee-dee-awr?"

Forgetting that he wouldn't know what she was talking about, she waved her hand nonchalantly to signal he wouldn't understand. "It's a game from my time."

"Can you teach me how to play?" he asked, sounding a little enthused.

"Well, er, no I can't. It's… complicated. It's a game you play with a… device. And you don't have anything like that here so yeah…" she weakly tried to explain.

"You just don't want to teach me," he replied.

"No, it's just… you wouldn't understand."

He sat up from the ground and looked eye level with her. "Try me," he said with a hint of determination.

"Why do you want to know so badly?" Junko asked, giving him a quizzical look.

"I just… want to know," he answered weakly.

Junko tapped her chin with her finger as she thought about how to explain DDR. "Ok, DDR is just the initials for the real name of the game," she began. "It's really called Dance Dance Revolution; it's a dancing game."

A dancing game. Shippou could comprehend that. What was so difficult about that?

Junko continued. "There's this machine… a giant metal… box," she tried to simplify. "And when it's powered up, it shows you… moving pictures."

Shippou was starting to look lost. "Moving pictures?"

"Oh yeah, it's nothing new in my time. Now, this metal box has a platform that you stand on. And what you do is watch the moving pictures on the screen."

"Skuh-reen?"

"Er, um, like…like a magic scroll!" she tried once more to simplify. "Er, anyway, on the screen, there are four arrows."

Oh! Shippou knew what arrows looked like!

"And the arrows point up, down, left, and right. You watch the arrows and when the timing is right, you match the arrows on the screen to the arrows on the platform you are standing on by stepping on it with your feet."

"… Why?" he asked after trying to contemplate the information she just told him.

"Because that's how you play! It's a game of skill and accuracy! The metal box plays music and you just step on the arrows that match the ones on the screen, see?"

"Wouldn't you cut your feet doing that?"

"No no! These aren't _real_ arrows! Just pictures of arrows," Junko amended.

This was more difficult that he thought it would be…

"Look," she told him as she got up. She walked over to the nearest tree and pointed to it. "Pretend this tree is the metal box." She then took a stick and drew in the dirt a square and four arrows point north, east, south, and west. "This is what the platform would look like." She stepped onto the 'platform' and put her hand on the trunk of the tree. "And the moving pictures would be shown right about here. I would look at that and follow the arrows that the moving pictures show me. Like if it shows I should step on the up arrow, I would step on that." She did so. "Same with the other arrows. And the arrows go faster and sometimes you have to step on more than one at a time." She started to step on the arrows again in demonstration, though the dirt was beginning to shift and the arrows were vanishing. "Left, right, up, down, left, up, left, down, right, down, left and right, up, down, le-!" Junko finally tripped on her own two feet and fell over on her bottom.

Shippou winced as he watched her fall. Junko groaned and rubbed her bottom as she got up. She then proceeded to dust off her kimono to rid it of the dirt she collected on it from her fall.

Shippou walked over to her. "So if I just flail around like an idiot, you'll be impressed?" he asked with an arch of a brow.

Junko, blushing with embarrassment, crossed her arms and turned away from him. "I said you wouldn't understand," she muttered.

Shippou really didn't understand so, with a defeated sigh, he left it at that. Though, he could see why someone would be impressed with the ability to play this game. It was so damn complicated! "Come on, let's head back," he spoke to her. "It's getting close to lunch time."

"Ok," she replied, turning around to walk back with him.

As they walked, Junko's hand bumped against Shippou's given their proximity. He turned to her thinking she was trying to get his attention.

"Sorry," she apologized nonchalantly. "Didn't mean to do that."

Shippou said nothing but still looked at her for a moment. Her hand… He was remembering what it felt like being touched by her hand earlier that day. He had liked that simple contact. It had felt so soft and warm against his own hand.

Junko blinked quizzically when she felt something nudge her hand. She looked down at her hand and her eyes then grew huge when she saw that what she felt was Shippou's hand slipping into her own. Her breath caught in her throat, and without thinking, she looked up at him in wonder. He just smiled back at her with that smile again; sweet and sincere.

Junko felt her face grow warm which meant she was probably blushing once again so she turned away to hide it. She then felt him gently squeeze her hand to hold it more firmly. His hand felt so warm and strong. Without realizing it, she complied and gently squeezed back. Then it hit her…

This is the first time she had ever held hands with a boy.

Though she felt awkward doing so, something about holding Shippou's hand made her feel warm inside.

"Is that Kagome?" she heard Shippou say.

She looked up, just now realizing that they were just entering the village. Panic and embarrassment struck her at the thought of being seen holding Shippou's hand so she quickly let go and pulled away. She then looked over to where Shippou was looking and saw her mother talking to Rin. Kagome then mounted Kirara who was standing next to her. Before they took off, Kagome looked up and just so happened to see the two off in the distance. Kagome only looked at her daughter before signaling to Kirara and off they took to the sky.

Once Junko realized her mother was gone, she ran to where Rin stood, Shippou following close behind her. "Rin-chan! What was my mother doing here?"

"Kagome-sama came to leave the sacred jewel here in the village with Kaede-sama so that they won't be detected by the demon, Naraku. They decided it was the best thing to do," she explained, holding out the necklace that the jewel was on. "Your mother was attacked this morning by a bear demon who knew she had the jewel."

Junko's eyes went wide with fear. "Is she ok?"

"Yes, she is unharmed thanks to Sango-sama and your father."

Junko was relieved. She may not get along with her mother, and still hold some resentment towards her, but she was still her mother and she wouldn't want anything bad to happen to her…

"I must go find Kaede-sama now so she can show me the proper way to set up these wards and sutras from Miroku-sama." Rin gave a slight bow to her friends before leaving them.

Junko nodded to her friend.

Shippou stretched his arms up over his head before lazily clasping them behind his head. "It probably is best that they leave the jewel here. I mean I know it's Kagome's job to guard it being she has the spiritual powers of a priestess and all, but carrying it with them while trying to find a demon as dangerous as Naraku isn't such a good idea. After all, he was after it last time as well."

"Why not me?"

"Huh?" Shippou puzzled as he looked to Junko.

"Why did she leave it with Rin-chan and Kaede-sama and not me?" Junko spoke, the rage in her words intensifying as she spoke. "I mean, she _'gave'_ it to me before!" she said with heavy sarcasm. "She kept the stupid thing in _my_ body for fifteen years!"

"How are you going to put up wards and sutras when you are part demon yourself? Listen, Junko, you are part demon. And any demon that lays their hands on the jewel may become corrupt by it whether they want to or not! It almost happened to your father a long time ago but Kagome was able to purify the shard he was using and saved him! It's very powerful! It is the job of a _priestess_ to protect it and keep if purified."

"Then how come I was able to have the damned thing in my body without it going corrupt?" she retorted.

Shippou was stumped for a moment. "I dunno!" he sputtered out. "All I know is that taking care of the jewel is a job for a _priestess_ and _not_ a demon!"

"What was that look she gave me?" Junko asked suddenly.

Shippou wasn't sure if she heard anything of what he just said. "What?"

"That look she gave me before she left? What was that all about?"

Why did she think he had all the answers? "I dunno, maybe she's still hurt that you told her you hate her," Shippou replied somewhat accusingly. "Why are you getting so angry at your mom for?" he asked, sounding annoyed and frustrated. "Look, Junko, she probably didn't want you to have it because you possessing it can put you in great danger!" Shippou took a deep, frustrated sounding breath. "I just don't get it! You were mad at your mom when she 'gave' you the jewel before, and now you're complaining because your mom _didn't_ give it to you to guard?"

"I don't _want_ to guard the stupid jewel!" Junko shouted at him.

"Then what are you getting so upset about?" he shouted back purely confused. "Why are you trying to _find_ reasons to be mad at your mom?"

"I just still resent her for putting the damned thing in my body and making the decision for me to make me human! She had no right! It is my decision and no one else's!"

"Junko, she was probably just doing what she thought was best for you! Mother's do that you know!" he replied, heavy sarcasm in the last reply.

"But she kept it a _secret_ from me! I grew up knowing I was different! Knowing but not understanding why; why I felt that way when I looked just like everyone else! Just like a regular schoolgirl in the same stupid school uniform as all the other girls! I never felt I belonged there! Never felt I fit in! And because I didn't have a reason to feel that way, I thought something was wrong with me! My mother's decision caused this! She should have _told_ me! Instead she kept it a secret from me! She kept my _true_ self a _secret_ from _me!_ And I hate her for it! I hate my mother!" she shouted out to no one in particular.

"Well at least you _have_ one!" Shippou shouted back.

That shut Junko up.

Shippou turned from her and quickly stalked off in anger, leaving Junko alone and speechless. Well, not so alone because for the first time Junko looked around her and saw several villagers gawking at the heated argument that had just taken place right there. Junko blushed with embarrassment and turned to follow after Shippou. She was no longer interesting in lunch after what just happened.

She had never seen Shippou so mad at her.

-------

AN: This chapter was going to end up must longer than I thought it would be, so I ended up cutting here. But do not fear, for AFTER you review THIS chapter (hint, hint) just click on the little arrow to read what happens next! Yes, I thought it wouldn't be fair to post only this much after such a long absence so I'm posting two chapters at once! YAY! I hope this makes up for taking so long with the update. That, and the fact that these two chapters are full of fluffy Shippou+Junko-ness!

Fear not, my loyal readers, this story WILL continue! I will continue to battle that horrible writer's block until this story is finished! I think you'll all find the story will get much more interesting as it progresses further. Oh yes, I have interesting ideas for the future chapters. Actually, sometimes stuff pops up into the chapters as I go! Like the part with Junko and Shippou: "And I hate her for it! I hate my mother!" "Well at least you _have_ one!" _That_ just came out of nowhere! I guess I just got really into what I was writing and what was going on between the characters.

Oh, and I hope I didn't throw you all off with the title of this chapter. I mean, there were heated moments but not _that_ kind of heated moment… not yet anyway… Oops! I think I've said too much!

Oh, sorry! I'm keeping you from reviewing and reading! I'll stop this author's note now! Now go! Review and continue on with the next chapter!


	7. Awkward Moment

**Return of the Hanyou **

**By: Lady Tiger LiLy **

**Chapter 7: Awkward Moment**

-------

Kagome had caught up with the group, returning safely with Kirara. "Hey, everyone!" she waved as the giant cat youkai came down to land on the ground as gently as she could.

Though it wasn't evident, Inu-Yasha was most relieved to see his wife had returned safely with a happy smile on her face.

"Welcome back," Miroku was the first to greet.

"How did it go?" Sango asked as she shifted her Hiraikotsu that she was carrying over her shoulder.

"I have great news for you and Miroku-sama!" Kagome replied to her friend. "When I went to go find Kaede baa-chan, I found Rin-chan instead!"

"You did?" Sango responded, sounding anxious.

"Yes, she and Mamoru had returned to the village not long after we left." Kagome smiled happily.

Sango looked much relieved to hear that her son was alive and well. It felt like a huge weight had been lifted off her heart. "Oh, thank heaven," she spoke most sincerely.

Miroku approached Kagome. "How is he?" he asked.

Kagome knew what he meant. She looked into his eyes. They were somber for he already knew the answer. "He is fine now… He and an entire village have Rin-chan to thank," she replied.

"I must thank her too," Miroku replied.

Kagome could see the guilt in Miroku's eyes. He blames himself for passing his curses onto his son.

Sango went to Miroku's side and placed her hand on his left shoulder. "_We_ must thank her," she smiled lightly to him. "He is our son."

Miroku moved his gloved hand up to gently clasp his wife's hand that rest on his shoulder. "But it is my curse. Mine alone. I must apologize to Rin-sama for all the trouble I surely must have caused her and Mamoru."

She looked at his gloved hand on hers and frowned up at him. "Miroku, what happened to Mamoru is not your fault. It is Naraku who is to blame."

He smiled gently to her and patted her hand. "Yes, Naraku is to blame. And he shall be stopped." He then looked over to Inu-Yasha. "Well, shall we be moving on?"

Inu-Yasha nodded. Kirara returned to her smaller form and trotted after Sango as the group moved on.

Sango followed closely behind the group, watching Miroku as they went. 'You are not alone in this, Miroku… Or is it that you want to be?'

---

Junko followed after Shippou but at a distance. She followed him at such a distance, she couldn't see him and had to follow his scent to know which way he was going. She was following so far behind because she didn't know what she was going to say to the kitsune boy.

She finally did it; she had truly pissed him off.

She followed him to the river not far from the village. She saw him sitting on a large rock by the river, throwing a flat stone he had found and watching it skip across the water's surface before it lost its momentum and sank. Actually, he had a small pile of them sitting next to him on the large rock. After the previous one sank, he grabbed another stone, and threw it with a flick of his wrist. It had skipped across the water several times before sinking to the bottom of the river just like the last. Shippou then proceeded to reach for another rock from his pile to skip across the water.

Junko approached him without hurry being she still didn't know what she should say. She stopped a few feet behind him and the large boulder he was on. Shippou did nothing to acknowledge her presence, but she knew that he was aware if her company. Junko nervously played with the hem of her kimono's sleeves and bit down on her lip in thought. She stood there silently for what seemed liked forever. She felt so guilty about hurting Shippou's feelings like that. She owed him a huge apology.

She swallowed and was just about to open her mouth to speak when Shippou's voice cut her off. "Want to sit down?" he asked, his voice holding no hint of anger.

Junko jumped a little, not expecting him to say anything. She thought he would just continue on ignoring her. "Mmhm," was all she managed as a reply.

She climbed up onto the rock, sitting next to him, but facing the opposite way he was, her back to the river. There was an awkward silence. At least, it felt awkward to Junko. She sighed inwardly. What was she doing? She shouldn't be here. He probably doesn't want to see her right now. She should just apologize and leave.

Junko's long silver hair fell forward to curtain her face as she looked down at her hands that were folded in her lap. "Um, Shippou… I just came to tell you that… that I'm really, really sorry. That was… I was very insensitive and I just… I'm sorry," she finished lamely.

She shifted as she was about to get off the rock and head back to the village but stopped when she felt a warm hand cover her own. "Wait."

Junko turned to her right to see Shippou leaning back on one hands, while his other one had grasped her hand closest to him. "Don't leave yet."

Junko said nothing as she complied and stayed sitting there. Her eyes couldn't help but glance down at his hand that had taken hers. Shippou shifted and turned himself towards her on the rock and she did the same upon seeing this. As she sat facing Shippou, Junko found herself fighting back a blush though she wasn't sure why she was starting to blush. Maybe it was because he was still holding her hand…

"Listen, Junko," he began to speak, still no anger to be found in his calm voice. "I'm sure your mom was doing what she thought was best for you at the time. And as far as her not telling you as you got older about you being a hanyou, well, maybe she wasn't sure _how _to tell you or how you would react. You've been human most you life. That is what you grew up as and it is what you've always known. How can someone go up to someone and tell them that they aren't really who they thought they were all these years?"

Junko shifted uncomfortably as she kept her eyes averted from his face. "Why are we talking about this? I thought that 'discussion' was finished?"

"You mean when we 'discussed' it very loudly in front of the entire village? No, that 'discussion' isn't finished. And why we are talking about this is because we need to talk about this."

"Is this about what you said about… um, the mother thing?" she asked cautiously.

Shippou looked down as he exhaled. He seemed to be noticing their joined hands for a moment. Idly, he began to caress the back of her hand with his thumb. "I'm really sorry about that."

Junko looked down at her hand when she felt the gentle strokes of his thumb. She felt goose bumps form on her skin from the simple action. Her face was growing hot again as she watched his hand for a moment, nearly missing what he was saying. "Um, sorry about what?"

"About blowing up like I did," he explained, looking up to meet her eyes.

"Oh, Shippou, no. You shouldn't be apologizing. You were just reacting to what I said, and I don't blame you for it. I shouldn't have said what I said to you. I forget that you don't… That your mom passed away while I still have my mother…"

"No, I'm not upset about not having my mom around while you do," he spoke. "I was upset about how you were talking about Kagome." He averted her gaze for a moment. "I hate seeing you take for granted what you have," Shippou sighed before looking back to her again, "because, Junko, you don't realize what it means to have a mom until you loose her," he said sincerely. "And I think Kagome is one of the best moms anyone could ever want."

Junko frowned lightly and looked away. "Well, you didn't grow up with her for a mom."

"In a way I did."

"No, you didn't! I've spent fifteen years under the same roof with her! You only saw her when she came to this time!" Junko replied, her voice rising a little in anger. "And she pampered you and spoiled you! That is not what my mom did for me! She made me eat my vegetables and do my homework. Not give me sweets and crayons to color with whenever she came back to this time!"

"Ok! Ok, maybe you're right! I don't know what it's like to have Kagome for a mom. But to me she was a mother-like figure during our travels."

"Yeah, and see, you knew everything while she kept secrets from me! You knew all about her life while she didn't tell me anything about the well being some kind of portal to the past and that's how she met my father!"

"You know, that brings me to an interesting question," he spoke, frustration and confusion beginning to show in his expression. "Why are you so mad at your mom and not your dad? He kept it a secret too, you know."

"Yeah, well, he had to because it was my _mom's_ decision. She was the one who wanted me to have a 'normal' _human_ life! It's not his fault! He would have told me if he could have!" she spoke heatedly.

"Did he tell you that?"

"Well, no…"

"Why do assume that then? Why do you see your father as this super great guy?"

"Well, why do you see him as some mean ol' grouch?" she countered.

"Because he was always mean to me as a kid! He was always kicking me around and knocking me in the head!"

"Well, he was always loving, protective, and fun with me! He was my only real friend!"

There was a pause in the conversation.

Junko sighed as she turned to look out at the river. "I'm upset that she keeps making all these 'important' decisions for me without talking to me about it."

Shippou began to pat her hand with his free hand. "Your mom was doing what she thought was best; giving you a chance for a normal human life. And even if that was a mistake, she's only human and it's in the past now."

She turned back to him. "But-"

"Junko, you got to let it go."

Junko was silent for a moment. "I'm going to head back to the village now."

"Junko…"

"What? What do you want from me? I can't make any promises," she replied firmly.

Shippou looked down with a small nod. "I'll go back with you," he replied, releasing her hand.

As they both left from the rock, Junko and Shippou each noticed how the warmth quickly left their separated hands.

---

"There you two are!"

Shippou and Junko were approaching Kaede's hut when Kohana popped out from the hut. They froze in her spots at the surprise appearance of Kohana.

"Oh, no…" Shippou groaned, knowing Kohana would probably now ask him again about going for a walk with her alone.

Junko leaned over to Shippou slightly. "Do you think she sees us? Is it too late to make a run for it?" Junko asked in a quiet, serious tone though she was only joking.

Junko didn't make jokes often so Shippou was caught off guard by this one. He managed to hold back a snort of laughter, until he saw Kohana headed towards them. "No, no it's not!" he replied quickly.

Junko blinked. "What? I was just-"

"Come on!" he interrupted, quickly grabbing her hand and pulling her along with him as he began to take off. They headed toward Kohana, and as they ran on by her, Shippou shouted out, "Sorry, Kohana! Gotta go now! Bye!"

Kohana was left speechless for a moment as the two youkai sped on by. "Huh? W-Wait a moment, Shippou-chan! Hey!" she called out to him. She tried to follow, waving her arms as she ran. "Stop! Come back! Shippou-chan!" She soon stopped and gave up, knowing she could never match the speed of a youkai. She let out a growl of frustration as she angrily stomped back to Kaede's hut.

---

Junko's heart was pounding as she followed quickly behind Shippou, trying to keep up. He was, after all, a full-blooded youkai and could run much faster than her. Once they broke into the woods, she finally took notice of Shippou's tight grip of her hand. He sure has been holding her hand a lot today.

Shippou finally came to a stop. Any further and he would have made him and Junko fall into a vertical dip into the forest floor. Besides, they were a good distance into the forest. Shippou was sure that Kohana wouldn't find them anytime soon if she decided to go after them. But being Junko's thoughts were focused on Shippou's hand, she hadn't anticipated him stopping and crashed right into him, knocking him unbalanced.

"Whoa! Junko!" He held on tightly still to her hand to keep her from falling over as he also tried to keep his balance.

Junko fought to keep steady being the forest suddenly was no longer passing under her feet at such a fast speed. She tried to catch her breath while regaining her balance, but all hope of that was lost when she suddenly let out a burst of laughter. Shippou looked astonished at this but not for long as Junko threw her head back as she laughed. One wrong step by Junko and Shippou was pulled along with her as they tumbled down the slope of the dip in the forest floor. As they fell, they had let go of each other's hands and they both rolled separately to a stop at the bottom, the ground softened with lush green grass and covered with leafy vines.

Shippou rose slowly onto his hands and shook his head to rid himself of his dizziness. He turned around to the sound of laughter coming from behind him where Junko lay. "Junko! Junko, are you ok?" he asked urgently, crawling over to her side and hovering over her slightly.

"I'm fine! I'm fine!" she replied with a wave of her hand as she continued with a bright smile and a sound of glee in her voice.

Relieved, and still feeling dizzy, Shippou let out a sigh of relief and plopped backwards onto the ground next to Junko. She soon began laughing again. Shippou propped himself up onto his elbow and turned towards her. Hearing her laugh was the strangest, most wonderful thing to hear. It was strange because he had never heard her laugh before, which is why he looked so surprised when she first started laughing. But it was wonderful because it was laughter coming from Junko.

And he found he loved hearing her laugh.

Though he didn't understand why she was doing it. "What's so funny?" he finally asked.

Junko calmed down a little, smiling brightly as she turned her head to look at him. "The whole situation! Us running away from Kohana! And did you see the look on her face when we ran past her? It was priceless!" She began laughing again.

"Actually, I did see her expression. And now that I think about it…" He started to laugh as well. "I guess it was pretty funny!"

"Yup!" Junko agreed as she still kept on laughing.

Shippou laughed along with her, gazing at her happy face. When she was happy, that was when she looked most beautiful…

They laughed together, Junko soon having tears of mirth forming in her eyes. Shippou soon began to laugh as hard as Junko and collapsed into her side, laughing into her shoulder. Junko's laughter softened slightly as she slowly became aware of Shippou's hot breath pounding on the skin of her exposed neck as he laughed. Soon his laughter faded away. Junko sobered up quickly when, within mere seconds, she felt his warm lips on her skin and then…

"Ow!" she shouted out in pain.

In the blink of an eye, Shippou moved back from Junko. She sat up, with her right hand rubbing the area where her neck and shoulder meet. "You _bit_ me!" Junko stated with anger and surprise. "What the _hell_ do you think you are doing?" she demanded angrily.

Shippou looked more horrified and confused than Junko did. "I-I don't know…" he managed to get out. Without another word, Shippou quickly got up and ran off into the forest.

"Shippou?" Junko called out in confusion at his hasty leave. She opened her mouth to call to him again but said nothing. If she kept on calling him, he might answer her and come back.

And after what just happened, she wasn't sure she wanted him to…

-------

AN: Needless to say, Shippou just freaked out Junko. Don't worry! The situation will be resolved in the next chapter!


End file.
